Change the World
by Falkyn's Flight
Summary: When a seventeen year old girl is sucked into the Avatar world she doesn't know what she's getting into. To her it's just a story, a TV show. She never thought that it would be anything like this, a world with its own unique languages, cultures and people who are more then pieces of art. Suddenly the thought living in a world like this at the brink of war isn't so fun anymore.
1. Earthquake

Chapter 1

Earthquake

There comes a time in everyone's life when a change must occur. Whether it is when you turn a certain age, or when you go to college, or when you become a parent. It is part of the natural order of the world. My life was no different, except my life changed in a rather drastic way and it all started with an earthquake.

It wasn't unheard of for earthquakes to hit my part of the world but they were rarely strong enough to cause problems. I had experienced an earthquake only once in my life. I was five years old back then and the only reason I had recognized it was because my mom had just finished an earthquake safety unit.

My day started on a long weekend. It was Saturday and I was enjoying the warm summer sun. It was one of those days where you don't want to do anything. I was just enjoying my time, wandering around town. As I walked down main street I passed by a small restaurant, which was one of the favourite places to eat in town, a family owned pizza place with a 60's theme. I smiled at the image of myself in the reflection. I was pretty, a soft round face, fairly high cheekbones, brown eyes and a slightly upturned nose. Average weight and a height of five foot eight. Nothing really big or spectacular, pretty normal actually, if not a little on the tall side. I sighed, it was nice to get out of the apartment, it was so hot right now.

My family was not well off so we lived in a small apartment. We would sometimes get through a month by the skin on our teeth, Not that I was complaining, our lives were hard but they could have been harder. We had a house, food, a car, a good school. Life wasn't bad.

I was distracted by a rumble. I quickly looked to the highway but there wasn't a single large truck or van going by. I frowned, a little confused but shrugged it off as nothing really major.

It was then that the ground lurched under my feet and began shaking like it was having a seizure. Cars and trucks swerved and lost control, crashing into buildings, trees and each other. I heard people screaming, lose their footing and fall. There was another rumble and the sound of rushing water came to my ears. I stood stalk still, stunned. Then the ground literally opened up beneath me. I screamed as a massive sinkhole formed under my feet. I was falling for a few seconds before I hit water feet first and was dragged under. A heavy current pulled at me. I struggled to get above the water. My head bobbed up and I caught a gasping breath before being shoved under again.

I don't know how long I was thrown about. I was sure I had a few bruises and cuts but if that was all I had at the end of this I would be thankful. That was when my head was shoved into a wall. I gasped, losing the bit of precious air I had been holding. My head felt fuzzy and I knew that I was going to faint. I was going to die.

When I woke up I was dimly aware of not being alone. There were other people near me, around me. My left arm was stiff and sore, my body ached and sweated. I was uncomfortable, hot, hungry and thirsty. Slowly I managed to swim through the fog of desires into the real world, surfacing slowly.

"...okay?"

"She's healing as well as can be expected Katara. Her fever broke last night. We seem to be through the worst." The voice was old and worn, the voice of an old woman. I was just able to assess that through the lifting fogginess of my head.

"Does that mean she'll survive?" This voice was also female but significantly younger then the previous speaker. This was probably Katara. I paused mentally. The name seemed familiar but I couldn't focus enough right now to firmly place it.

"Only if she wakes up. She's been asleep for three days. We've been lucky that we could even manage to get her to drink anything at all. Still, if she falls into the living death there is nothing we can do about it besides send her to the Spirit World." My needs were growing and I was beginning to feel tired again but what the elder woman had said scared me. The Spirit World. I couldn't place the name any more than the girl's but I could figure out that it was the realm of spirits, in other words, the realm of the dead.

I was not going to die.

My eyes felt like someone had cemented them closed but I forced them open. It was only a little bit but it was enough for me to come fully into myself. Struggling to get the attention of my caretakers I tried to speak. Only a pathetic moan passed my lips. The smaller blurry figure in blue, the one who I assumed was the younger speaker noticed my moving. She sped over to where I was and leaned in, "She's awake Gran-gran!"

My body felt heavy and I wanted to sleep again. I smelt a strong scent of something edible and managed to open my mouth. I tiredly allowed them to spoon the food into my mouth like an infant. Despite my hunger my stomach filled up quickly. I knew why but couldn't explain it. Even if I could have I wouldn't have had the energy to do so anyways.

I fell asleep again soon after.

I must have woken up for short periods several times in the next couple of days. At least that's what Katara and her brother Sokka told me. During that time I hadn't really understood where I was, being exhausted and weak from my ordeal. It was about five days after I had woken up for the first time that I began to realize what had happened to me.

I woke up. It wasn't slow or groggy and I didn't want to go back to sleep. I had energy and for the first time since I had come here I was able to sit up without the help of others. Looking around I saw that I was laying in a tent of some kind on a thick, blue sleeping bag with a tan coloured blanket laying over my body. My left arm was still stiff and now that I had the energy to be curious I turned to look at it. My arm was fixed between two strong pieces of wood, tied firmly there with pieces of torn cloth.

I looked down at myself and for the first time realized that I was all but naked. My clothes had been stripped and replaced by something like a small tube top that covered below and above my breasts. The rest of me was covered in bandages though I was pleased to see when I peered under the blanket that I had on a pair of underwear. Looking around some more I took in a metal stove of some sort as well as a bowl and spoon. Picking it up I was surprised to see that both bowl and utensil were made out of bone. Putting aside the urge to study the bowl further I quickly dipped the spoon into the thick broth and devoured the food there. The broth was thick, with chunks of something that reminded me a little of gelatin but I was too hungry to care.

That was when he entered.

Before that moment I hadn't put a lot of thought into what I had already heard and seen, too focused on curiosity and hunger. Then the boy walked in. He had brown skin, a wolf tail, blue clothes and equally blue eyes. The second I lay eyes on him my heart sped up to match that of a jackrabbits as everything I had experienced hit me like a sledgehammer. Katara, Gran-Gran, this boy here, Sokka Katara's brother. Oh. My. God. My heart had somehow jumped to my throat and I stared at him in wide eyes. This couldn't be happening, despite how realistic it looked, despite how they weren't cartoon, I knew. I was in Avatar the Last Airbender. I couldn't make a sound, I couldn't move. My breath started coming out in gasps and I distantly realized that I was hyperventilating. The boy, Sokka spun and shouted something. Within seconds I had Katara and Gran-Gran helping me to calm down, rubbing my back and speaking soothingly to me.

I took a deep breath and finally managed to calm down somewhat, my body still shaking like a leaf. Unwilling to believe it I asked, "Where am I? Who are you?" Katara, ever kind and helpful explained softly, "You're in the South pole. I'm Katara, this is my grandmother and the one who scared you was my brother, Sokka."despite the fact I knew it already my brain froze on the South Pole. I was in another world, heck I was in the south pole of that world. I realized then, my family probably thought I was dead, my body floating in some underground river. I realized that no one would ever search for it. I began to cry.

I was inconsolable. Katara was trying to calm me down but I slapped her hand away with my right hand, before curling into a ball. I wanted to be left alone, luckily for me, Gran-Gran knew that and she guided both Sokka and Katara outside. I dimly registered Katara's protests but I was to caught up in my grief. I cried for what my life would have been had that earthquake not happened, I cried for my family who would never know my fate and I cried because I was here and not there with them. I had never wanted to go home so badly.

Didn't stop crying until I fell asleep.

The next morning I was surprised by Katara sitting beside me. She watched me nervously before speaking.

"Please don't panic again."

"I won't," I promised, I couldn't help but look away, feeling ashamed for my behaviour yesterday. I didn't apologize, I had every right to panic and cry. dimly in the back of my mind I was glad that despite the fact these characters looked realistic they didn't look anything like the movie's characters. I probably would have committed suicide if I had ended up in the move verse.

"So what's your name?" I jumped and looked at Katara wide-eyed. She smiled, completely unaware of the conundrum she just stuck me in. How was I supposed to give my name? A name that was in no way remotely ATLA sounding. While I desperately mentally searched the names I had heard that could fit into this universe Katara continued on.

"How old are you? How did you get here? Where do you come from? Are you a bender?" I sighed and looked at her. Even if I gave her a different name it would soon be obvious that it wasn't really my name. I wouldn't respond to it fast enough. How was I going to answer all these questions? Finally I just decided to tell as much of the truth as she could understand and I could handle.

"My name is...," I sighed, "My name is Madison. I'm seventeen years old. umm..." I paused to remember the other questions, "I don't know how I got here," I paused again. Where should I come from and how could I answer the bender question. I didn't know if I was a bender, and I was pretty sure that my hometown wouldn't be recognized. I could say it was a small earth kingdom town though.

"I'm not a bender and I come from a small town on... Kangaroo Island." I supplied with a guilty smile. I was an awful lair even Sokka would probably tell when I was lying. Normally I would blush, look away, or start laughing. The few instances where I could lie were based around anger when I would spout anything I could think of to hurt someone. I rarely got angry but when I lost it I grew a mean streak about a mile long. Speaking of mean streak. I looked at Katara. Either we would be the best of friends or we would hate each other because of how similar we were. Really it was the only option I could see. Both of us were mother hens, both of us cared for our friends and both of us could be downright cruel when it came down to it. Still I also had better control over my desires and anger, I was extremely patient and I had learned from my mistakes. So, while we were alike I was more mature which made sense as she was three years younger than me.

"Oh, okay," I looked up surprised. She hadn't noticed I was lying. Deciding to count my lucky stars I went for a change of topic.

"So... healer Katara, how long will I be stuck here with this?" I raised my stiff arm, rather surprised at how well a couple of wood shafts and cloth could work as a cast. Katara blushed, "Well I'm not a healer... but Gran-gran says that you'll be in bed for another five days and another week before the splint comes off." I nodded than cracked a smile, "I've put this poor arm through the wringer, this is the third time I've broken it,"

Katara looked shocked, "that means-"

"The bone is going to either get stronger or weaker, at this point I don't care much anyway." I replied with a shrug. After a moment of silent contemplation Katara asked, "Did the Fire Nation separate you from your family?" I paused. It would be so easy to blame it all on the Fire Nation but I didn't agree with that. Not every Fire Nation person was a sick bastard just like not all earth kingdom people were strong and resolute or all water tribe flowing and relaxed. Katara's master in the North defiantly proved that one.

"No," I finally said after a moment, "it wasn't the fire nation. Just a natural disaster" I felt my eyes prickle and quickly wiped at them, "It doesn't matter anyway,"

"Yeah it does," Katara stated softly coming up to sit beside me, "the fire nation came to this very village eight years ago. They killed my mother," I looked up at Katara. A lot of people believed that Katara is a whiny baby and/or a Mary Sue. When I looked at her now though... all I saw was a fourteen year old girl who was really hurting and had been forced to grow up to fast. I frowned before leaning over to her and pulling her into an awkward hug. She stiffened than nervously returned it. I smiled, "Sorry but I couldn't help it. You're the same age as my little sister." I looked at Katara and it occurred to me. She had been forced to grow up and become an adult, needing to be the woman of the house. Despite that she was the younger of the two she had to be the mother to her brother.

Silently I made an oath. If I was going to be in this world then I wasn't going to stand idly by while these people got hurt. If I had any control over it I would do my best to ease that pain without risking this world's ending. It would be hard but I was willing to risk myself. The worst thing that could happen was death after all and I had already lived through that.

* * *

"There you go Pala" Kanna said with a smile. I nodded with my own smile looking at my arm, finally free of its bindings. I carefully bent it. The muscle had atrophied but I knew what would be needed to fix that issue. Weight lifting. Or in this case as Kanna had it, hauling buckets of clean snow to be boiled into fresh drinking and wash water. I sighed at the buckets she was pointing to and moved to pick them up. "Is this really necessary?" I asked. Kanna just gave me this look and I hurried out of the tent.

In the last two weeks I'd somehow joined the water tribe. I'd begun to wear water tribe clothing, not that I had much choice given the fact that all my other clothes were destroyed beyond repair when they found me. My hair, an inch longer then my shoulders, had changed from being left loose to do what it willed to being worn in a short, three stranded braid. I'd also been given a nickname by the local population Palartok, which means quiet. Katara though had taken to calling me Pala since I called her Tara once. I told her I actually preferred Pala, she told me she preferred Katara and that was the end of that.

My arm began to ache after the first trip and I was quick to decide that the bucket with my weaker arm was going to hold less snow. Luckily I was not the only person doing this chore so everyone wasn't depending upon my rather limited competence when it came to this icy land.

"Need some help there?" I looked up to see Sokka. He quickly took the bucket from my shaking arm, looking at me worriedly. Sokka was a lot nicer then I remembered on the show and a lot more than just comic relief. Sure his voice did still crack and boom from time to time and yes, he could be immature but he was a sixteen year old boy. It was nothing beyond what I expected in the first place. Still occasionally like now, he showed incredible depth for someone who was comic relief for the first season and a half. I had found that I had to remind myself less and less that they are more than just characters on a TV set. They are as real as I am.

"As much as I'd like to say yes don't you have warrior training to do? Besides I need to do this. It'll strengthen up my arm and that is something that needs to happen, as painful as it is." Sokka grimaced then took the bucket from me anyways. He walked with me for a moment before speaking up, "What warrior training? Who am I kidding? I can't teach these kids anything," he paused, "I wish dad was here, or even Bato, either one of them could really help." I said nothing for a while before replying thoughtfully.

"You can teach them basics, some pretty neat tricks-"

"What's that going to do against the fire nation?" Sokka interrupted. I sighed and took the bucket back from him, using this action to make him fully pay attention to me. Sokka and Katara had become very close to me, not that I was surprised, they were the only children their age that had survived the attack of the Fire Nation and a shortage on food that came not long after, causing many people to starve to death. Even now food was scarce among this village and they had little to barter with. They could barter with the few other villages on this pole but few were doing better then they were.

Dragging my mind back to the conversation at hand I spoke firmly.

"Sokka you can give these children something that they have very little of, forgive me from taking a leaf from Katara's book but you can give them hope and the heart and courage of a warrior through observation. You might not be the best warrior out there but you have determination and intelligence." I grinned, "don't waste it okay?"


	2. The Flying Boy

Chapter 2

The Flying Boy

_A/N I hope everyone is happy with this chapter. It came so easily it seemed to write itself. To the point where it decided for me two additional points I hadn't been expecting. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the previous. I don't know how often I'll be updating, the last two weeks of this month and the first two of August are super busy for me so if there is little update during that time just be patient okay. Thank you.__  
Princess Kassie Out. _

* * *

I couldn't help but stare at Appa. The giant bison seemed to think I was nothing important as he bellowed at me. Turning away, I shook my head and berated myself for turning down Katara's offer to go fishing with her and her brother. Not that there was any way I could have known that within a month of coming here I would be dealing with Aang already. The story I knew seemed to have decided not to wait until I was ready but move at its own time. While that was just like life back home I now was unsure of how to progress from here

"Pala you'll never guess what happened!" Katara cried as she ran from the tent where a deeply sleeping Aang lay, Sokka close behind. I grinned, she had already told the entire story to Gran-gran so I allowed myself a moment of fun.

"You found and airbender named Aang and his bison called Appa frozen in an iceberg?" the look on their faces was priceless so I allowed myself a bark of laughter before explaining, "I already heard, you weren't exactly quiet when you told Kanna. Plus," I paused to nod towards Appa, "there's a giant buffalo staring at me" Katara's face fell. I winced.

"Sorry, you can tell me more if you'd like," I regretted that choice rather quickly as I was given a very detailed summery of the story, all from Katara's point of view with Sokka piping up every once in a while.

I was distracted from the story when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a bald head peer out of the tent. I smiled lightly as Aang slipped back inside. Interrupting a brewing argument over whether Appa really could fly I tapped Katara on the shoulder.

"Katara? You're guest's awake," Katara's eyes widened. She spun around and took off. I chuckled as Sokka shook his head at her excitement.  
"Someone's happy," I commented lightly. The young warrior snorted, "Yeah that's all I need another bender," I frowned at him, "You should be happy for her, she's finally met someone who can bend as well." Sokka huffed but nodded before storming off to ridicule Aang about his bending. I chuckled under my breath as Aang took his staff back with a concentrated gust of wind. All laughter was forgotten when he took off into the air.

I had watched Katara waterbend before. In real life it amazed me at the sheer beauty of water, floating through air. Moving to the will of one mortal girl. I had forgotten that Katara was little more then a talented beginner, playing at bending. The sight of Aang taking to the air caused me to gasp along with the entity of the tribe.

It really looked as though he was flying. My heart began beating a hundred miles a minute. I couldn't take my eyes off him. There will never be enough words to fully describe the feeling I had when Aang began to glide. It was like a dance. He was the air, free and unrestrained. Just watching him in his natural element I felt free as though my soul was flying with him. I felt a strange yearning build up inside of me. I wanted to fly like that.

Aang's eyes met mine. For a second time froze. Then he smiled, did another loop, flew right over my head before landing behind me. I watched as he approached, my ears suddenly cold. Sometime during his display my hood had fallen off.

"HI!" he held out a hand, "I'm Aang and you are..."

"Maddi," I replied breathlessly, reaching out and grasping his small hand in my own firmly "but most people here call me Pala. That was... the most amazing thing I have ever seen," Aang beamed. He was a cute kid, but my mind was focused on replaying the bending.

"You liked it that much?" he asked, grey eyes bright, "thanks, I've never been complemented like that before." Aang looked at me curiously before asking, "are you water tribe?" in a disbelieving voice. I shook my head.

"No, Earth Kingdom. I ended up here after a boat crash,"

I shift from foot to foot, unable to met his gaze, the lie burning on my lips. Aang looked a little suspicious for a second or two but quickly shrugged it off.  
"I was just wondering, you didn't look water tribe." Then he bounced up into the air and took off, stopping beside Katara with a big grin. He said something to Katara who laughed and replied. Sokka looked cross, shooting a glare at Aang before storming off.

I stayed in the background for most of the day, focusing on chores and keeping a eye on Aang and my friends as much as possible. Despite that I was still caught off guard by a high pitched whine. I jumped and turned to look up at the sky. A brilliant red flare shone there. I wasn't the only person who saw it. The woman who had been working beside me, a sweet lady named Sura, let out a panicked wail. Sura and I had often worked together but it had taken her a week before she had actually spoken to me. She had admitted one day that she had trust issues, especially with foreigners. I told her about one of my friends who had issues with anxiety. We had gotten along quite well after that. I dropped the bucket and run over to her, worried by her panicked cries.  
"Sura, what's wrong?" My approach did nothing to calm her. Instead she screamed even louder, backing away. I stepped back as well, widening the space between us. Luckily Kanna wasn't far away. She approached Sura slowly and began speaking a language I had heard often while living here. It was the language of the Water Tribe. The words themselves had no meaning to me but the tone is sweet and that itself seemed to calm Sura down. Kanna gently took my crying friend by the arm and guided her into a tent. I watched, stunned torn between staying away and going to comfort my friend. Another of the women I work with a mother of two named Buniq, places her dark hand on my shoulder.

"I know you mean well Pala," she spoke softly but firmly, "but this is a hurt that Sura has lived with for a long time. Kanna knows how to calm her." I frowned but nodded. Worry filling my heart for my friend.

* * *

It was a child who raised the alarm, letting us know of the return of Aang and Katara. The village moved out to met them, I found myself standing behind an irate Sokka, thinking over the events of this scene. Sokka was going to banish Aang from the village. When I had first watched the show I had believed that Sokka was acting rashly because he didn't like Aang. Now, knowing of the rules they followed, he had the right as the oldest male in the village. The only one who had the right to contradict him was Kanna. After the incident with Sura I couldn't disagree with the decision Sokka was going to make. Katara stopped when we made eye contact, then looked around to take in her entire village standing outside, waiting. The children of course, already friends with the playful monk ran out to meet them. Sokka quickly fixed that.

"I knew it! You signalled the Fire Navy!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Aang, blue eyes narrowed in anger. Katara frowned and moved to correct her brother.

"Aang didn't signal the Fire Navy," she tried to reason, "it was an accident." Sokka sent a pointed look at his sister but she met his glare with her own steady gaze.

"Yeah, there was this booby trap," Aang explained innocently, "and we... well, we boobied right into it." Sokka, distracted by Aang's explanation, looked away from Katara. She quickly met my gaze again, worry dragging her eyebrows down. I winced then shook my head in reply. I noticed Kanna moving forward to stand beside her grandson. I quickly backed off, giving her space.

"Katara, you know the dangers of going on that ship." The old woman reminded Katara, disappointment heavy in her words.

"Don't blame Katara," Aang insisted, "it was my fault. Blame me." Sokka scoffed, gloved hands tightening around the bone spear he was holding.  
"So! The intruder confesses! Warriors! Away from the enemy, the foreigner is banished from our lands."

I was expecting Katara to argue with Sokka, tell him that he was making a mistake. Instead she looked at me, her blue eyes bright with that ever-present hope, hair loopies blowing into her eyes.

"Maddi?"

My stomach sank. Silently I asked God why she was involving me in this. I didn't know what to do. If I refused would I be able to keep what I knew true or had my mere presence changed events already. Was fate set in stone or flexible and what was worse? I shook my head. I didn't want this responsibility. My eyes began to sting. I looked away. I couldn't met her gaze, afraid to see disappointment or betrayal reflected back at me.

"Fine!" Katara snapped, "Then I'm banished too. Come on Aang, we don't need them anyways." I kept my eyes rooted on the snow.

_"Maybe you should go, since obviously I'm not as important as some stupid book!" Her voice rang in my head. I tried to push the memory away. That fight had been so long ago, why was it coming back now of all times?_

_"Fine I was going to anyways. Who cares about some stupid pictures anyway, it's not as if anyone important drew them."_ My own voice echoed mockingly in my ears. That particular fight between my sister and I had nearly been the end of our relationship. I had wanted to go to the release of the last Harry Potter book with one of my close friends at the time. We had it all planned out. Then I found out, the same night the book was coming out for the first time my sister's art was going to go on display for the first time. She had made me promise two months earlier that if her picture actually made it as one of top ten or so young artists who entered I would go to see it. I had told her I was going to the Harry Potter night. She had been betrayed and angry. The fight that had broken out between us made things very tense between us for months after even though in the end I had decided to show up for her art and buy the book later. To this day I considered it the greatest mistake of my life. Then again I had told my sister I didn't think she was important. What sort of sister did that?

"Pala?" I jumped, dragged out of my thoughts by Sokka's voice. He was looking at me, and I realized that I hadn't even noticed that everyone else was returning back to the village. His brow furrowed his blue eyes solemn, "You're not mad at me too, are you?" I quickly shook my head, wiping at my eyes which felt like hot needles were poking them.

"No. I'm... not mad,"

Why did I waste so much precious time fighting her when we should have been cherishing our time together? A dry sob escaped my lips. I missed my family, my mom, dad, little sister. I wanted to be with them. I never asked for this. Why should I be the one to lose everything? Why did I have to be left alone? I was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug from Sokka. I stiffened, shocked at the gesture. Sure I had hugged people before. I had even hugged people here in this world but mostly it was Katara and the occasional child. Sokka hugging me was something beyond my understanding. It didn't make any sense whatsoever. Sokka didn't explain, he just took my gloved hand in his and lead me back to the village. In the back of my mind, I realized that Sokka was almost as tall as me.

The second we were in the village. Sokka sent me to the tent I shared with Katara to wash up before he went into warrior mode. He shouted at the kids he had been training then tore off into his own tent to prepare. Once inside my tent, I washed and dried my face. Dipping the cloth into the warm water and rubbing it roughly over my face, wiping away imaginary tears. Calming myself down and shaking myself out of the selfish trail of thought I had been stuck in I looked it over mentally. How could I really think I was the only one to lose everything. Katara and Sokka had lost their mother and their father had left them afterwards while Aang had lost his entire race. Who was I to whine and snivel and cry? I shook my head, you're seventeen, not ten grow up girl, I told myself quietly.

The sound of screams and cracking ice broke me from my thoughts. Zuko was here already, that was a lot faster then I had expected. Then again, I had no real way of determining just how long it was between each scene in an episode. I quickly pulled my hood up and hurried out of the tent. I was the last one out of the tents. Women and children cowered, nervously eyeing the gigantic red and black metal boat sitting halfway through the wall of snow. I looked for Sokka and let out a breath of relief to see him stuck knee deep in snow. He may not have been happy but at least he was okay. I noticed with interest he was wearing the full make up to go with his warrior's outfit. I had always felt rather disappointed that this was the only time we really got to see it.

I watched from the entrance of my tent as the metal plank slowly lowered, sharing its protests with the world in the form of a slow groan. There was silence for a moment before the first man in red began walking down the plank. They all wore the same uniform only Zuko wore no white mask. Instead he left his face open to be seen by all, making it very clear who the leader of this group was. As he approached the majority of the tribe he payed no attention to Sokka who was struggling to break out of the snow. As he came closer I got a good look at his face. Without the hair softening it he looked fierce, harsh, cold. His yellow/gold eyes shone down on us, reminding me of a wolf. His scar was what I found myself paying the most attention to. The skin was melted, brown around the outside, a brilliant pink closer to the eye. He had no eyebrow above and his eyelid was all but sealed shut, leaving only a thin line of gold. It made him terrifying. Cautiously I slid my way to join the rest of the Water Tribe, hoping I wasn't noticed.

"I'm looking for the Avatar," Zuko snapped, his eyes cold as they looked over the entire population of the small village. He strode forwards, grabbed Kanna and dragged her out, ignoring Katara's shocked cry, "he'd be about this age," he called, "master of all elements." I looked around. All the water tribe people looked at each other, completely confused. No one knew that Aang was the Avatar yet. The six soldiers behind him did nothing, just standing there, watching. Waiting for one of us to do something so they could say they burned us to a crisp for a good reason. I was distracted by my thoughts when Zuko's fist caught fire. I felt my heart lurch when a loud wail rang out. For a split second I thought Sura had panicked again. Instead Sokka lurched out of the snow, bone club raised. Zuko, given plenty of warning by the 'war cry', knocked Sokka to the ground and tossed the club away. Zuko's hand once again caught fire. Sokka threw his boomerang in retaliation. Zuko barely noticed, just turning a little to the right as he advanced on Sokka.

The snowball hit him in the face.

He turned, eyes promising a slow death. I pulled away, face brilliant red in embarrassment, knees shaking in fear. Internally I was screaming at myself for being an idiot. I just threw a snowball at a guy who could fry me. Another part of my brain, a little less rational then the other was repeating over and over that he would become a good guy. He wouldn't kill me. Zuko took one step forward.

Sokka's boomerang caught him in the back of the head, sending his helmet flying and sending him toppling forwards. I jumped out of the way, breath hitching. The snow around him sizzled and vaporized. Zuko stood, anger radiating from his form. This time both his hands caught fire.

"You'll pay for that peasant."

I stammered something, fear causing me to choke. Forget good guy, he was going to murder me right here and now. I wished I was brave enough to actually argue, mock him, even the ability to say something besides a squeak would be useful. Sokka grabbed a spear from one of the children. To my shock Zuko snarled, "stop wasting my time. Just tell me where the Avatar is and I'll leave." I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Aang should be coming anytime now I needed to keep Zuko distracted so he doesn't burn or kill anyone. I opened my mouth but I didn't get any farther. A penguin slid past us, once again knocking Zuko into the snow and covering everyone else in a good sized blanket. The penguin stopped and pulled itself to a stand, flapping its four wings before waddling off. In its wake was a familiar boy, looking a little confused at his abrupt dismount.

"Hi... Aang," Sokka grumbled at the twelve year old. Zuko pulled himself back to his feet this time, clearly sick of the games. Luckily Aang didn't fool around. He stood, his staff upright at his side.

"Looking for me?"

"You're the airbender?" Zuko asked incredulous, "You're the Avatar?"


	3. Ripples in the Pond

Chapter 3

Ripples in the Pond

_"Looking for me?"_

_"You're the airbender?" Zuko asked incredulous, "You're the Avatar?" _

* * *

I stared at Aang and Zuko as the two moved slowly. Circling each other. Zuko seemed disgusted that this child, dressed in an apprentice monk's garb, armed with only a wooden staff was the one he had spent years looking for. Aang on his part remained focused and solemn.

"I've worked years, meditating, studying, training for this. You're just a little kid!" He spat. Aang paused, cocking his head in confusion.

"Well you're just a teenager." The two began circling again, like boxers in a ring, looking for the right moment to strike.

Zuko's fist shot out, sending a stream of fire at Aang. The young airbender spun it away with his staff. More fire, once again Aang protected himself. I could all but feel the tribe slowly backing away until the only ones were Aang, Zuko and I. Another wave of fire, this one much larger, flew towards Aang. He once again spun his staff. This flame wasn't fully dispersed. Remnants of the fire flew over the population of the tribe. I heard several people scream. Suddenly the fire was gone and Aang was standing erect, staff by his side.

"If I go with you will you leave everybody alone?" Zuko made no reply but a single nod. He pointed his soldiers at Aang. I watched as Aang was restrained and marched up the metal plank. Katara refused to just stay in place. She rushed towards the plank, stopping a good foot away from the bottom.

"Aang!"

"It's okay Katara, take care of Appa for me while I'm gone." Aang smiled causally as though this was nothing to be worried about. The plank rose until I could no longer see him. The boat slowly pulled out of the ice and vanished around an iceberg.

Everything was silent for a long time.

"Aang was the avatar?" Katara murmured softly. I looked at my friends for a moment before walking away.

I had a bison to find.

* * *

In the end it was Appa who found me. The two ton behemoth lowed* when he saw me and hurried over. I helped close the gap by approaching the giant animal. Appa sniffed me, his breath washing over me, warm and musty. He lowed again as if asking 'where is Aang?' I petted his nose before looking around and trying to figure how I'd get on. Appa, to my surprise dropped to the ground before looking at me expectantly.

"Thanks Appa. I owe you a treat." Appa grunted in reply. I laughed before using his legs to clamber up to his back. Ignoring the saddle completely, I carefully stepped onto his head and grabbed the reigns between his horns.

"Okay boy," I said, "Aang needs our help. Yip-yip!" To my delight Appa responded to my plea by slowly ambling across the plain. I didn't ask him to fly, my mind preoccupied by what had occurred. Had I done anything to change the course of events and if I had would it help or harm? The possible future of this world could be decided by my choices. I could not, would not sit idly by and watch my life pass by me. Besides I had made an oath. I pulled myself from my thoughts. I was over thinking this. If I paid to much attention on what was supposed to happen I would become to scared to act at all. I leaned back on Appa's head. The sky glowed yellow turning the snow into a plain of molten gold. It was beautiful.

"Appa!" I looked up. Katara was running at us, waving. A huge smile almost split her face. Sokka stood next to the crack in the ice, a canoe filled with items for a long trip beside him.

"I thought you guys might want a lift!" I called. Katara looked shocked for a split second before grinning again.

Appa was loaded very quickly, all three of us working together made the work easy. Then we climbed on and headed off. Katara and I took Appa's fuzzy head while Sokka lounged in the back. I clutched the reigns and snapped them to a cry of 'yip-yip'. Appa groaned before he lowered himself to the ground. I could feel the great muscles tensing. Then he shot into the air. My heart jumped to my throat but after the initial shock I let out a whoop of excitement. Sokka and Katara cried out as well, shock and excitement evident in their voices. Once Appa levelled out above the water Katara looked at me.

"Do you know where they are?"

"No," I admitted, "but they can't have gone far. They've only been going for half an hour tops," Katara nodded absently.

"Besides," I added, "they're going to the Fire Nation, we know in the general direction they're heading."

It was Sokka who spotted the ship first. As we got closer I was able to see Aang and Zuko on the deck. Both stopped and looked up when the dark shadow of Appa blocked them from the sun. I grinned and waved when they saw us. Aang grinned and waved back. He didn't expect the attack that came from Zuko. I should have.

Aang his the water hard. Even from here I could hear the slap of his back as he impacted. I knew just how cold the water here was. Hypothermia was a real danger that killed just as surely as drowning. A scream tore through me. Katara shouted his name. Sokka stared at the water, unable to say a word. I didn't know Aang. Not as his own person at least but I knew of him. I had watched him on TV and come to care for him. Aang was a smiling, naive boy who grew to become a strong, able young man. He was an optimist, was good with animals and was willing to give a second chance to anyone if they were just willing to ask. Later, Sokka would tell me that when Appa swept low to the ship I didn't wait for him to land. I jumped. I didn't remember any of it. One moment I was sitting on the bison's head, the next I was on the metal deck of Zuko's ship. Legs burning, my hand stinging with bleeding knuckles while Zuko was doubled over, gasping for breath.

The last two weeks or so I had been working more manual labour then I had ever imagined possible in my life. My muscles had become stronger then I had ever thought of. However I wasn't the only one with muscles. Zuko was ripped and wearing armour. It was purely because I had surprised him that I was able to effect him at all. I didn't wait for him to get his bearings. He barely had time to straighten before I went to slap him. My hand never connected. Zuko's own hand caught mine around the wrist. I started as he glared at me.

Aang shot out of the water. He hung there above the ship, suspended, eyes and tattoos glowing. Zuko in shock let go and I stumbled back. The avatar state was terrifying, every primal instinct inside me was screaming run. I quickly backed up, making plenty of distance between Zuko and myself. Aang dropped onto the ship with enough power to make the metal shake. The water he was controlling swung around, knocking off all the soldiers on deck, including Zuko. I stared at Aang amazed. He was so small, his head was about level with my chest and yet he held so much power. Aang turned to me, still in the Avatar state and touched my gloved hand.

A current of electricity ran through my body and suddenly it wasn't Aang standing there but Avatar Kyoshi. The tall female warrior dressed in green looked down at me, regal as a queen.

"Hello Madison," she said, "I was wondering when I would get to talk with you."

Two things struck me at once. The first was that this was Avatar Kyoshi, the woman who created not only Kyoshi island but also the Kyoshi warriors. It was the second realization that caused my heart to leap.

"Do you know a way to send me home?" I blurted out excitedly, "is that why you contacted me." Throughout my time in this world I had thought upon occasion that while the people here wouldn't know how to send me back home one of the avatars or even a spirit might. I would be able to see my family and friends again. I would be able to see him again. I looked at Kyoshi, hoping with everything in me that she knew a way to get me home. I didn't belong here in this world and maybe she knew that and was here to fix it. Kyoshi looked at me and her blank face changed to one of sorrow.

"I'm sorry Madison. Neither I nor any another avatar has come across this sort of situation before."

"Then why did you contact me," I snapped, "how did you contact me anyway. I'm not in the spirit world am I?" I looked around but my surroundings hadn't changed, they just seemed to be on pause. Katara was halfway off Appa, suspended by air. Sokka was hurrying down the bison's tail back to me. Kyoshi shook her head her makeup making it hard to identify with her.

"No. I'm contacting you from within your mind. Although I probably could have brought you to the spirit world as you've been there before."

"I have?"

"Yes and that is part of the reason I am here. You passed through the spirit world before coming to the south pole. Your presence, even in the spirit world has been like a pebble tossed into a calm pond." She paused before continuing on, face serious. "The full effects of your existence here has yet to be seen but they soon will be." I frowned.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing, there is no way to stop this. Even sending you home would not stop the changes you have already created. I simply ask that you do what you think is right. Only you can act upon the knowledge you have. Remember, that knowledge will not be relevant forever." I nodded before looking away nervously. Kyoshi refused to let me get away so quickly, she caught me in a piercing gaze, "Do not worry about your actions to much. A single butterfly moth flaps a wing-"

"And causes a hurricane, I know the theory."

"Then you have no reason to fear it." Kyoshi assured before vanishing, leaving Aang in her place. Time continued as the airbender's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his legs collapsed from under him. I quickly grabbed him before he could hit the ground and eased him down to the cold metal.  
Katara and Sokka rushed over to make sure he was okay but I waved them off.

"I'll get him to Appa, Katara can you watch our backs, Sokka grab his staff for me okay?" Aang's eyes fluttered open.

"Don't say anything Aang," I told him gently, "I have it covered." He nodded faintly as I slowly helped him back to his feet. Once he was standing I guided him to Appa. As we walked he began to lean on me less and less so by the time we were at the bison's tail he was able to scramble on himself. Katara rushed by next, scampering up the bison's tail. Sokka came last, boomerang in hand causing me to think that he had to cut himself out of the ice. I was right behind Sokka to get to Appa's saddle. Aang, sitting on his bison's head snapped the reigns "yip-yip"

"Pala, you're bleeding." I looked up at Katara. I had forgotten about my split knuckles. Now that I had been reminded of them though they began to sting like crazy. I looked at my hand and winced. All four knuckles of my right hand were split and bleeding. Some of the blood had dried around the wound. Katara took my hand with a practised gaze looked it over, assessing the damage. She was about to speak when Sokka cried out. On instinct both of us ducked.  
Aang went soaring over our heads, flying towards the giant ball of fire shooting towards us and batted it aside with his staff. The fireball hit the side of one of the icebergs causing it to collapse on one end of Zuko's ship. Aang flew backwards and was quickly caught by Katara, Sokka and I. The three of us pulled the young airbender back onto the saddle. As soon as Aang was safe Katara dug into the pack perched on the end of Appa's saddle. She pulled out a brown bag that I recognized as a medical kit. Inside would be a bone bowl, a splint, bandages, salves for cuts, burns and bruises, items to ward of restless spirits and anything else Kanna could think off that would ease the journey. Katara true to form pulled a small jar of ointment out of the bag and began spreading it on my injury. While she worked she began to talk as she was wont to do.

"Sokka, Aang are either of you hurt?" Both boys shook their heads but Katara didn't seem to fully believe either of them. I winced as my knuckles began to sting even more then before.

"Ow."

"Sorry, this salve is going to burn for a bit but it will stop infection. I think you'd rather not lose your hand." I nodded in agreement. Back at home I would have believed it was a complete over exaggeration here though, if an infection wasn't treated right away it could lead to blood poisoning or lock jaw, both of which were fatal. I felt slightly guilty when I realized that illnesses that I was completely immune to were not only still prevalent but lethal for thousands of people in this world everyday. It made me feel like I had cheated somehow. Once Katara was done wrapping my hand she moved on to the boys. Sokka had nothing but a couple of bruises and they both agreed that the salve needed to be saved for more important things. Aang had a couple of nasty rope burns on his wrists but Katara was sure they wouldn't need treating.

After Katara was assured that everyone was going to be okay she leaned back on Appa's saddle allowing herself a moment to calm down. Aang crawled to the edge of Appa's saddle and sat there, balanced on one foot. There was silence for a long time. Finally Katara spoke.

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar, Aang?" Aang didn't reply for a moment, to busy staring into the yellow and pink sky. He didn't even look in our direction but kept his eyes firmly fixed anywhere but us.

"Because... I didn't want to be." Sokka and Katara looked at each other with puzzled expressions, almost as though they couldn't understand. I paused and tried to look at it from Aang's perspective.

"I guess it was a lot of responsibility to suddenly thrust on a twelve year old." I said, keeping one eye fixed on Aang to see his reaction. Aang nodded, still not looking at us. I sighed. Maybe going to sleep would be the best thing for this particular issue. Katara seemed to be thinking along the same lines.  
"I don't know about you but it's getting late. How 'bout we pull out the sleeping bags and sleep on it." Aang nodded once again before hopping onto Appa's head. The three of us still on the saddle shared a look. Aang was really upset about this and I was beginning to doubt that he would recover from whatever it was upsetting him. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what it was. I decided to leave it for whenever he would be willing to share. I smiled and touched Katara's shoulder.

"Leave him to his thoughts," I said softly, "sometimes people just need to be alone." Katara nodded and passed me the sleeping bag she was holding. I accepted it graciously before pulling off my heavy outer garments and boots then crawling into bed. A few seconds later Katara took her place beside me, Sokka to her right.

I lay in bed, staring up at the stars for a long time. Everything had happened so quickly and I needed time to fully process it all. Zuko was clearly a lot more dangerous then I had really thought. He wasn't just some bad guy turned good, Zuko was a real person who was struggling to find just who he was in the world. Undoubtedly he would pose a serious threat to us, a lot more serious of a threat then he had been portrayed as in the series. I was a little disappointed that I hadn't met Iroh as he was one of my absolute favourite characters and I really wanted to get to know him as a person. On the other hand he was the most skilled and dangerous firebenders in existence only topped by Ozai because he had no conscience.

I sighed deeply before deciding to take all the information I had on the Avatar world and its storyline. I had watched the entire series through twice and some episodes a lot more times. I had read both The Promise and The Search all the way through and had seen bits and pieces of The Legend of Korra but had been overall disappointed with the series except for some of the theories it had created.

My mind wandered over to my confrontation with Kyoshi. My stomach churrned as what she had said finally hit home.

_Neither I nor any another avatar has come across this sort of situation before_

Unless another spirit had come across this I would never be going home. I felt a lump grow in my throat. Memories of my family assaulted me. I whimpered and screwed my eyes closed.

Go away. Go away. I don't want to think about this.

Who knew what happened to my family anyway. Had they died in the quake like I practically did. Were they alive but homeless or were they untouched but grieving because they thought I was dead. I tried to choke back a sob but failed. I cried myself to sleep that night. Inconsolable with the thought that I would never go home again.

* * *

_A/N  
*lowed is just a deep sound that cows are known to make based upon the definition I read in the dictionary._


	4. Story Time

Chapter 4

Story Time

I woke in the predawn hours of morning. Appa had landed sometime during the night on a small island so I took the opportunity to stretch my legs. I put on my boots then carefully crawled over Katara and Sokka and slid down Appa's tail.

The island was small, almost to small to be called an island. It was better described as a large rock with some lichens growing on it. Still it was peaceful, nothing but the occasional bird flying overhead disturbed the sleepy nature of this place. Halfway through my walk I abandoned my boots and socks and walked barefoot. The stone was cold and I wondered halfheartedly what it would be like to be able to move earth at my command. By now I knew I wasn't a bender, there was no possible way I could be. I had tried to mimic bending moves while I was at the pole when people weren't watching but had soon given up. I could barely replicate them and even then I should have felt some sort of connection. I should have started rising with the sun like firebenders or started feeling homesick like earthbenders would have. Waterbending was out of the question since it was the only bending type I had been capable of replicating in some way since watching Katara. Besides Katara had told me she had discovered she was a bender by the time she was three years old and that was only a year or two earlier then average. Chances of me being a bender... I sighed and shook my head. My toes were damp from the dew clinging to the lichens and mosses of this rock but I couldn't bring myself to care. Finding a good place to sit, I dangled my bare feet off the rock and leaned back, enjoying the warmth of the slowly brightening sun. I just sat there for the longest time, allowing myself to just be.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize anyone was up yet," I opened my eyes and turned to look at the sheepish airbender standing behind me. I chuckled gently than patted the spot beside me.

"You can join me if you want, I don't mind," I leaned back and closed my eyes again. After a moment I felt the young Avatar take a seat beside me. There was silence once again. To my surprise it was Aang who broke it first.

"How's your hand healing?" I blinked and looked at him, then at my wrapped knuckles. I shrugged.

"Healing. It doesn't hurt much anymore. I'll get instructions on how to care for it from Katara once she's awake," I paused and turned my full attention to him, "how are you doing?" Aang didn't answer for a moment which allowed me to take in his full appearance in greater detail. He was young, a round face with plenty of baby fat, bright eyes, wide with innocence. He really was a child and my heart ached at the realization of how quickly this twelve year old would be forced to grow up. He was sitting in a lotus position and I nearly expected a 'uhmmm' to come. Instead he stared out across the water.

"Okay." I looked at him.

"So you're okay?" Aang looked at me and nodded. I looked away. I really shouldn't have expected him to open up so quickly but my perception of Aang was of a happy-go-lucky kid who wouldn't ever let anything keep him down. Deciding to change the topic I decided to ask something that had been bothering me for some time.

"How do you sit like that?" Aang looked surprised and looked at me, then grinned. I was delighted to see the smile grace his face, it was a blessing.

"I've always sat this way, all the monks could," he shrugged, "you can't do it?" I shook my head.

"Nope, not flexible enough. I wasn't exactly the most athletic of children. I like to work my mind more than my body. Don't get me wrong I'll work hard but if it isn't needed…" Aang sent a curious glance in my direction.

"If someone was shouting at you what would you do?" The question caught me by surprise. I fumbled for words before carefully replying, "I'd try to figure out why he was so angry. If it was circumstance, something I'd done, etcetera. Then I'd see what I could do to help fix it. If he wouldn't accept it I'd leave,"

"And if he got violent physically,"

"I'd protect myself and others anyway I could. What's this about Aang?" Aang was looking at me with the happiest expression I had ever seen.

"The way you reacted to my bending, the way you act and think, you're an air nomad in spirit." I smiled then leaned over and gently scuffed his head. If he had hair I would have ruffled it.

"That's a sweet thing to say. Thank you." He shrugged before airbending out of the position and coming to a stand. He held out his hand to me.

"Are you coming Madison?"

"It's just Maddi," I corrected lightly, taking the proffered hand and pulling myself up.

"Maddi,"

We walked back to Appa in comfortable silence, only stopping to pick up my footwear before continuing on. It was only when we could see Appa that Aang stopped. I too stopped, curious. He turned to take me in.

"So why do Sokka and Katara call you Pala?"

"It's a nickname, short for Palartok which is a water tribe name they gave me." Aang looked surprised then he grinned again.

"Wow, I knew the tribe liked you but that's amazing." I glanced at the chipper bender.

"I don't understand. What's so special about a nickname?"

"It wasn't just any nickname," Aang replied knowingly, "they gave you one of their names and you accepted it. They essentially made you one of their own. You can have claim all the same rights as anyone else in the water tribe." I blinked at Aang, dumbfounded. They had essentially made me water tribe in all but blood. I looked over my interactions with the people there. Only Sura had been really cautious after Katara started calling me Palartok. Everyone after that welcomed me and called me by that name. I had just assumed that it was an easier name for them and that Madison was to confusing for them to use. I had no idea what the name had represented for them.

"You really didn't know? Sorry, I guess they should have explained it to you but the Water Tribes believe in family. If you were alone with no one to care for you they would have taken you in so you wouldn't be stranded with no one. Oh, and by introducing yourself as Pala you're acknowledging that you are part of the water tribe." Aang deciding then that the conversation was over, took off, soaring over Appa. I heard a shout of surprise from Sokka, and Katara's voice, faint but with a laughing tone. I didn't move. I had been alone. I had no one and the southern water tribe had opened its arms to me, welcoming me as one of its own. Accepting me as one of their people, as one of their family. I had known that the water tribe took family bonds and ties very seriously and were known for making sure a child never went without family. I had never considered that they would do the same thing with a stranger, two actually since Aang would later be adopted into the tribe by Katara and Sokka, then officially became a member with Bato.

Sokka's head popped out from over Appa.  
"Hey Pala what are you doing? Katara's made breakfast." I walk over. During the time Aang and I were talking, Katara had built a fire and Sokka had caught a fish. My mouth started watering at the sight of smoked fish. Sea prunes, a small fish that reminded me of shrimp and the occasional Arctic hare made up the majority of meals at the southern water tribe. I grimaced when I remembered sea prunes. The flavour was foul and strong, the food itself had a nasty jelly like consistency. Sea prune stew had been the first meal I had eaten at the pole and by the time I had realized the meal I was eating was that foul meal Aang had hated I had been eating it for over a week willingly. Besides, in the southern water tribe it was pretty much eat what you are served or starve to death. Then, five days after that discovery I was called to help harvest sea prunes. I had been fine with it until I saw they were being harvested with cages. After seeing the sea prune in its full form I discovered that it was the same as a creature in my own world. The sea cucumber.

Needless to say it took me a while to get over that little tidbit of information.

Sokka looked just as ravenous as I felt while Aang was looking ill at the sight of smoked fish wrapped in seaweed and lichens.

"Do you have something that… wasn't at one time alive?" I winced. Water tribe meals were all made with living creatures, the only thing that really broke the trend was seaweeds. Occasionally merchants would come and as a treat we'd get dried fruits and bread but that was it. Katara turned and began to dig through the bag, a look of intense concentration on her face. Finally she surfaced with a good-sized package and handed it over to Aang. I watched as Aang looked at our supply of seaweed.

"Are you sure, I don't want to take all of it."

"And we don't want you to starve. You didn't eat anything yesterday that I'm aware of." I stated firmly.

"Yeah but he went a hundred years without eating, he's probably okay." Sokka said, halfway through splitting the fish into portions. Then he paused, "what's wrong with fish anyway?"

"That's not the way it works." I replied sharply. All three sent me strange looks. I blushed and looked away.

"For Aang no time has passed, his body was preserved the second he was covered by that ice. In other words, Aang is only twelve years old and the last time he ate was whatever meal he ate before getting frozen. It's no different than if he suddenly jumped a hundred years into the future." I looked at my friends who seemed to be contemplating what I had said. I grinned, pleased that my friends took what I said so seriously.

"And I'm not eating fish because I'm a vegetarian." Aang explained. Sokka stopped cutting the fish to look at Aang in complete bafflement.

"Vegetarian?"

After breakfast we packed up and climbed on Appa.  
"So where are we going Aang?"

"I want to go to the Southern Air Temple first before heading for the North Pole."

"Straight to the North Pole?" Katara interrupted. Aang nodded, still gazing out at the sky over Appa's head. The bison didn't seem to need steering as he was heading home so Aang was in the saddle with the rest of us.

"Well as straight as we can manage. It'll probably take a few months though." He admitted.

We fell silent. It was painfully awkward. There was no way I would survive this journey if the entire time was spent this way. I looked around. Sokka was lounging on the back of the saddle. Katara was sitting, every once in a while peering over the edge. Aang was on the opposite end of the saddle from Sokka, stroking the bison's fur. I, on the other hand was sitting next to Katara, legs stretched out across the open part of the saddle.

"Are we going to spend the whole trip like this?" I finally asked, catching the attention of my travelling companions, "I mean if we're heading all the way to the Northern Water Tribe, then back into the Earth Kingdom, we'll need some way to pass the time." I seemed to catch the attention of Sokka and Aang, both appearing intrigued with the concept. Katara glanced in my direction, also curious but less than her brother or Aang.

"How?" Aang asked, "a game?" I beamed.

"Pretty much. The idea is that we can share stories, any story one we were told as children, one that we learned from history, one we experienced or even ones we make up ourselves. How's that sound?" Aang stood and moved closer to the rest of us, eyes alight. Sokka sat upright, paying a lot more attention now. Katara raised an eyebrow.

"What are the rules?" She asked.

"No stories that to make a point to someone else in the group, no embarrassing stories that aren't your own, no stories to scare anyone without everyone agreeing first and…" I paused, "all stories must have a beginning and an end and must take at least three minutes to tell. In other words 'there was once a girl and boy who lived happily ever after'. Sounds good?" My friends nodded. Aang raised his hand.

"What is it Aang?" Katara asked.

"Can I go first?" The avatar questioned. I looked at the Water Tribe siblings. Both seemed supportive of it so I nodded.

Aang launched us into a story the monks had told him. The story of the turtle-sheep and the sparrow-hare. I found myself quickly comparing it to the tale of The Tortoise and the Hare. The story was almost identical, simply the animals were a little mixed up. Also, the moral instead of simply being stated at the end or left alone a lion-turtle made a cameo.

"And the lion-turtle said to them, 'With patience and determination, victory is assured.'" Aang finished. Katara appeared pleased with the story but Sokka grimaced. When he opened his mouth to say something I quickly interrupted.

"How 'bout Katara goes next?" I suggested. Sokka pouted and leaned back, sending a pointed glare my way. Katara went into the tale of how her family had discovered she was a bender. I laughed outright when I discovered that she had completely soaked Sokka and the toy he had stolen from her. I let Sokka go next.

"Long ago, there lived an old man named Kanut who lived on his own. He was a widower and all his children had long ago moved out of his home. Now he lived all alone on the outskirts of his village…"

I listened in awe as Sokka told the story of Kanut. The wily old man had come across the spirit of a polar-bear dog and had rescued it from demise. The spirit, indebted to Kanut had asked that its body be laid to rest. Kanut did so and each mile he passed he was tested by another spirit. After he succeeded and laid the animal to rest it told him that it would guard over his children and his children's children to repay the debt owed. To my surprise Sokka looked very serious after that story.

"Kanut was my grandfathers father and that polar-bear dog watches over our family to this very day."

"Wow," Aang gasped, "it's a true story?"

"Well it's supposed to be," Katara admitted, "but we don't know just how much of it was true. Kanut was a very old man when he met the spirit so we really don't know how much was true and how much was his addled mind. So Maddi? You're next." The last sentence shocked me. I wasn't expecting it.

"Uh, right… okay. Well-"

"What is your family like?" Katara blurted, "you know, your earth kingdom family I mean." Sokka and Aang jumped on the bandwagon, both asking questions about where I had come from and what had happened for me to end up in the South Pole. I quickly raised my hands, signalling silence.

"I suppose I can tell you some stuff just… if I don't want to answer something, promise you'll not press for the answer?" They nodded.

"Alright, one thing at a time though." I sighed. This was going to be painful. I just knew it was going to dredge up old memories that I wasn't ready to face yet. Katara went first.

"What was your sister like?" I leaned back and smiled.

"Stubborn. She had a head as hard as rock and she wouldn't back down for anything. If I have the spirit of an Airbender, Aang then she had either fire or earth. We were complete opposites. She would blow up at the smallest thing and her temper was something to fear. Still, she had her sensitive side, she just hid it thinking it made her weak." I smiled. Erin had always reminded me of Toph they shared many similar personality traits from what I saw on screen. Then again, I had seen a whole new side to all the characters so far, who was to say Toph wouldn't be the same.

"What about parents? Your mom and dad?"

"Hang on," Katara interrupted, "what did your sister look like." I laughed outright at the two siblings bickering.

"My sister looked a lot like me but shorter, a little darker when it came to colouration and more curves. We both looked a lot like our mom. It was always very clear that all three of us were related, only I'm taller than my mom. My dad… he had dark hair, almost black and equally dark eyes. Me and my sister have his eyes. I also got his height, I'm only a little shorter than him. As for my parents personality," I looked at my friends. Katara and Sokka were both paying attention, seeming interested in learning about my life. Aang on the other hand seemed puzzled about something. He was looking at me, head cocked to the side. I decided to leave it be for now, he'd probably ask for clarification over something later.

"Well, my mom was really sweet. She loved children and was good with them. My dad was a joker, his puns remind me a little of your good ones, Sokka. If you got him on a roll he wouldn't stop no matter how hard you groaned. He also liked sports."

"Sounds like a man after my own heart." Sokka faked fainting, one hand on his heart. I rolled my eyes.

"Can I ask something?" Aang spoke, shifting nervously. I nodded, dusting off my sleeve absently.

"Why do you talk about your family as though they're not alive anymore?" I stared at Aang, shocked. I hadn't even noticed. Stupid, I chastised myself, they're not dead. They're not dead. Even if you'll never see them again. Sokka broke into another story suddenly but the mood was ruined for me. How could I betray my family that way. I didn't know if they were dead, I was dead to them not the other way around and not by choice either. I sucked in a deep breath. The air was cold and it stung my mouth and nose but it helped knock me back into reality. Aang was looking embarrassed, shyly he approached me.

"Sorry Maddi, I didn't know." I shrugged. Inside I felt numb, like ice was encasing my emotions, stopping me from feeling. We got back to storytelling again. This time Aang told a story about him and Gyatso playing Pai Sho. Sokka and Katara told the story of The Great Blubber Fiasco which caused Aang to laugh and me to smile. Then I told the story of Cinderella, the original Grimm tale. Slowly I started to enjoy the day. No one asked another thing about my family and I allowed myself to forget.

* * *

_A/N The Water Tribes believe in spirits just like everyone else in the Avatar world does and it is a key component of their culture. I liked the story Sokka told about the spirit of a polar bear dog watching over his family it just fit with the way I'm building this society as well as the Sokka you never saw on the TV screen. As for the fact that Maddi is officially part of the water tribe, that was partially inspired by my sister who suggested that to give Maddi a new name that was water tribe there had to be something else behind it. Aang was aware of this because he has travelled all over the world with monk Gyatso, true that was a hundred years ago but age old traditions don't change that quickly anyways. _

_As for Maddi/Pala she's still trying to decide how to look at her situation. Should she treat her family as though they are dead and grieve for them properly or should she remain determined that they are alive and well and that they believe she is dead. Currently she's refusing to believe they're dead and she'll bounce back and forth on how to deal with this. Her family will be a sensitive topic for her for a while yet. She's putting off thinking about it for to long because she's afraid at this point and she's ashamed that her subconscious has identified them as dead. _


	5. Daughters of Kyoshi

Chapter 5

Daughters of Kyoshi

A/N I just want to apologize for updating so late I've really been struggling with this chapter. Also I am working two part time jobs currently so I barely have any time for writing because if I pull my writing tool I have the kids in the summer camp begging to play on it and beat me at fruit ninja (some of them have got awfully close. I better start working on that as well.) Anyway I finally figured it out and fixed the issue and now I am continuing on. I hope you like this chapter. (It's a bit longer to make up for how long it took to write)  
Princess Kassie out.

* * *

The southern airtemple was beautiful. Intricate designs and carvings. Soft colours that reminded me of a sunset. Why was the wind picking up? I spun from where I stood. Suddenly there were bones all around me... airbender bones. In the centre was a huge whirlwind. Aang.

"Aang, I know you're hurting." That was Katara's voice. I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"I know what it is like to lose everything, what it is like to be alone but you're not alone." My voice.

"Pala's right Aang, the airbenders may me gone but you've got a new family. Sokka, Pala and I are your family now."

I jolted upright. Gasping I looked around, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. This was hardly the first time I had woken up from a nightmare. Ever since the southern airtemple, five days ago, I had been having nightmares more often then not.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up, you don't normally sleep in this late," I turned to see Sokka looking at me. I quickly assessed my surroundings and was astonished to find that he was right, it was close to midday, probably close to ten or eleven o'clock from what I could see.

"Yeah, well my sleep schedule's been funky ever since I was at the pole. No offence but daylight for the entire summer isn't what I'm used to. I had to use Katara as-" I cut myself off, shoot I nearly said alarm clock.

"As a rooster" I supplied, "for pretty much the entire Summer. Well, summer for you guys, winter for the rest of the world."

"Wow," Sokka, king of sarcasm said, "you managed call us backwards at least twice. I'm so hurt."

"Shut up Sokka." Katara and Aang laughed. Sokka pouted, it didn't last long before he broke into a big smile.

"So where are we going Aang? Do you know?" Sokka asked, changing the subject. Aang turned his head to look at us from Appa's head.

"Well, I know it's over water." Both Sokka and I looked at Aang, completely deadpan. The only thing we could see for miles was water. I scanned the horizon, looking for any sign of Kyoshi island. As far as I could see the water stretched on forever. There was a chip above me and something landed on my head. I laughed and pulled the owner of that weight down onto my lap. The lemur looked at me, chattered then took off again. I grinned as I watched Momo fly, he was a funny little fellow but I was glad we had picked him up.

"There!" I turned to look in the direction Katara was pointing. In the distance on Appa's right side was a pale brown smudge. Land. Aang twisted the reigns on Appa's horns, shouting the usual phrase.

* * *

Kyoshi island was barren at this time of year. It was covered in snow and dead branches and plants. Waiting for spring to come. The air was cold and I agreed with Sokka on this one, yes he did need pants here. I was silently wondering if Aang was crazy. There was still snow outside and yet he was stripping himself to go for a polar bear swim in a bay that held a giant coy eating monster.

"Aang maybe-" I had no change to finish as Aang dove into the water. He then shot out of the water with a scream of "COLD!" Before vanishing back into the waves. I groaned and flopped onto the cold sand.

"Will he ever listen?" I murmured, staring at the giant fish. Since I had arrived here I had become accustomed to seeing strange sights, koi fish the size of skyscrapers were no big deal. At least I was trying to convince myself of that. Katara shook her head as though laughing at how ridiculous this whole situation was. I couldn't disagree with her. Aang had been flying us all over the place. Luckily we hadn't gone to ride the hog-monkeys or whatever other animal he had intended to burden with our weight. We had simply gotten lost, twice, because we decided to take a longer route, worried about some thunderheads in our direct path. I kept a nervous eye on the water. Part of me was screaming to get Aang out of the water, images of him losing a limb or two dancing before my eyes. The other part of me was repeating that he'd be okay and it was Sokka's big mouth I needed to worry about. I shifted my weight alternating which foot most of the weight landed on. I did my best to stay alert. I wanted to know when the Kyoshi warriors were going to arrive.

My attention was distracted by a panicked shriek from Katara. Running over to my mocha skinned friend I didn't even have to ask what was wrong. A huge dorsal fin, if you could call it that, had suddenly appeared in the middle of the bay. The elephant koi where nowhere to be seen. A stream of white water suddenly appeared. Aang, using airbending to propel himself as far as he could across the water. He was moving so fast that he ploughed right into Sokka, both hitting a tree enough that the trunk shook.

"Ow." Sokka groaned before sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. Aang of course sprung up as though he hadn't felt a thing. He opened his mouth to speak and I heard a slight rustle above me.

"Well we should probably get going." Sokka stated.

Several green figures dropped from the trees. I cried out as one grabbed me by the wrists. I tired desperately to remember the self defence classes my mother had put so much effort into getting me to learn. I couldn't remember how to break a hold like this so I improvised. I completely sagged, relaxing my body so that the Kyoshi warrior was supporting my weight entirely. Not expecting this, but braced for a struggle she simply dropped me. I shot to my feet, the other Kyoshi warriors had already taken Katara and Sokka down. Aang was almost completely taken down which meant that all the Kyoshi warriors were pretty much looking at me. I quickly raised my hands.

"Were not here to cause trouble!" I cried wanting to make sure that they listen to me. The warriors paused, fans still at the ready but now less guarded.

"Then why are you here?" A Kyoshi warrior with short brown hair, pale brown eyes and golden tassells hanging from her 'hat' asked. I recognized her as Suki.

"Listen, we're travellers, trying to get to the North Pole to get these two," I gestured at Aang and Katara, "a water bending master. We probably wouldn't have even stopped here if someone hadn't wanted to ride the elephant koi." I shot a pointed look at Aang, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't see it. Of course all three of my companions started blabbing, agreeing with me and trying to get themselves out of their situation. Of course that only made it seem like they were guilty of something.

"Ride the elephant koi?" One of the Kyoshi warriors I didn't recognize asked in astonishment, "we always have some in the bay, but why would you risk your life for something like that? No one ever knows when the Unagi will feed." I frowned internally. Suki had told the gaang that the people of Kyoshi island would feed them to the Unagi. If no one knew the Unagi's feeding pattern then the whole 'we'll feed you to the Unagi' was a bluff. Suki shot a pointed glare at her friend before adding, "How can we believe you?"

"Would the fire nation waste time riding elephant koi?" I replied.

"They would if they knew how-"

"Aang! The fire nation would know better then to risk their lives over a joyride." I replied to my bound companion.

"Listen," I turned back to Kyoshi warriors, "you may not believe it but my friend here," I gestured at Aang, "is the Avatar. He was stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years so he didn't age. Of course that also means he's only the master of one element so far so we need to get him to the North Pole. Preferably sooner then later." The Kyoshi warriors looked at each other, indecision written in all their faces but one. Suki. She was going to be a tough but to crack. I tried another tactic.

"Listen our group is compasses of a pair of water tribe siblings, and last I checked the water tribe wasn't friendly with the fire nation. An earth kingdom girl who was adopted into the water tribe and a young apprentice monk from a race that is supposed to be extinct. Do you honestly think the fire nation has enough creativity to make something like this up?" Suki glared at me then turned.

"We'll take you to the chieftain, if you can prove you are who you say you are then we'll let you go."

"And if we can't?" Sokka asked.

"We'll throw you to the Unagi. Even if it doesn't eat you drowning isn't the nicest way to go."

* * *

"I can't believe that we're getting desert for breakfast!" Aang exclaimed looking at the feast of sugary foods spread out in front of us. Katara and Aang sat on one side of the table, I sat on the other. There was a single empty cushion where Sokka would have been seated if he wasn't grumbling in the corner. Aang already piling his food high on his plate looked at Sokka expectantly, waiting for the older boy to come and eat. Sokka didn't move.

"Don't mind him Aang," Katara comforted, "he just can't believe that he was beaten by a bunch of girls."

"Sneak attacks don't count!" Sokka cried. I sighed and took a bite out of a fresh bakery bread bun, naturally sweetened with honey. I groaned in delight. After a month or more of eating fish and sea creatures, bread tasted like heaven. After I came down from my cloud of bliss I turned to Sokka.

"They've been trained well and sometimes, women make the best warriors because no one expects them to be. Being underestimated is a pretty powerful weapon." I pointed out, remembering what I had learned about female ninja and how they used their gender to become the best assassins. No one expected a woman to kill someone, especially a lady. Sokka glared at me. I took this moment to add, "In fact, I think I'll ask Suki and her girl's to train me."

The look on Sokka's face was priceless.

"Wh… what?" He stuttered.

"You heard me," I replied, "Sokka, I have no bending abilities, I need a way to defend myself. I can't rely upon you guys always. All it will take is me getting separated from you guys and bang!" I clapped my hands together. After a second I continued "I don't want you guys to have to worry about protecting me all the time. I'm the oldest in this group. I need to be able to care for myself." I looked around. This place was beautiful, a perfect place for guests of honour. I shrugged, grabbed a biscuit of some sort and delighting in the jam filling walked out of the room. Sokka was three steps behind me. I stepped out of the door and was nearly knocked over by a mad horde of fan girls. I growled, enough was enough. They could stalk Aang, they could antagonize Katara. They were no allowed to sit outside our house until Aang came out.

"Go!" I barked, causing a few to jump, "don't you have something important to do like… I don't know… chores?" The girls scattered. Pleased with myself I licked my fingers and headed towards the Kyoshi warriors' dojo. As I walked down the road I window shopped at the various stalls set there. These covered everything from fruit, to cloth, to goods and based upon the sign on one woman's stall fortune telling (and a lot of gossip). My eye was caught by a jewellers stall, filled with colourful trinkets. One in particular caught my eye. A large gold coloured medallion with copper work, it was pretty and very noticeable but it wasn't the size or how much it probably would cost that caught my attention.

"Excuse me," I walked toward the woman who was tending the stall, "how much is the medallion?" The woman looked up. She was pretty and looked to be about the age of my own mother. She was wearing a plain beige dress and a green handkerchief to keep her hair back.

"The medallion? It's…" she looked at the piece I had been pointing to then back to me, as though assessing how much money I could own.

"It's five gold." I frowned trying to calculate that amount into my mind. Giving it up I remembered that we had a good amount of money. Still I didn't want to spend it on a trinket, no matter how much or how little it cost. Still… I wanted it bad. Noticing my hesitation the sales woman levelled with me.

"You one of the girls with the avatar right?" I nodded, looking away from the hanging medallion.

"You don't have a lot of money?" This time I shook my head.

"No. We have money but I don't want to spend it on jewellery. Food and supplies are more important." The woman nodded, looking at me with an assessing gaze.

"Look, this item has been giving me trouble since I got it. With the war going on this necklace is barely more then a joke. It is quite valuable but the inscription on it guarantees no one will ever buy it. To sell it at less then five gold would be a crime." She admitted, "but even as cheap as that is no one will touch it." I gently traced the copper designs on the medallion, Air, Water, Earth, Fire. The medallion looked just like the design Iroh had drawn in the sand for Zuko in… I struggled but realized quickly that I couldn't remember that episode. All I could remember was that it was in the second book and after Toph had joined the group because Iroh was injured.

"Why?" I asked, gently fingering the beautiful item, "what's wrong with it?"

"It has the symbols of a long extinct race, and the symbol for those who are the reason everyone's life if a living hell." She replied as easily as discussing the weather, "Who would buy it at all?" I looked at the woman for a moment in silent contemplation. Most people would look at it that way but for me, this necklace represented my point of view for this world. There was no good side and no bad side. This war was no different between the Israeli and Palestinian war going on at home. It was humans, killing humans with thousands of innocents caught in the crossfire.

"I will." I replied without thought. I checked in the pocket of my parka and brought out a handful of coins.

"This is all I have," I admitted looking at the small pile. The woman looked at it then looked up at me. She counted out the money then handed the necklace to me. I gently took it in my hands. The cord that held it was thick, black and coarse but I couldn't bring myself to care particularly. I held the necklace with reverence, grateful for something to remind me that this war was as pointless as the ones at home. The sooner Aang learned all forms of bending the better.

I gently fastened the necklace around my neck and let it hang. It was heavy but the weight was good, it reminded me that I had the necklace on. I turned to walk away when the woman called to me. I turned.

"My son and daughter have left the house," she explained, "but they left the clothes that didn't fit them any more with me. If you'd like you can try them on see which ones fit you." I smiled. That was really sweet.

"Sure, tomorrow maybe? Same time?" She nodded. I continued on, gently fingering the necklace.

* * *

I walked into the Kyoshi warrior's dojo just in time to see Sokka get trounced by Suki. I groaned then ran inside. Catching the poor guy before he hit the ground and untying the strap. Sokka glared at me but I ignored the pointed look, instead focusing in on Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors.

"I'm sorry for intruding and I apologize for this guy over here," I nodded towards Sokka who was trying to somehow regain his damaged pride, "but, I was wondering… if you'd be willing to teach me how to fight." I caught a glimpse of Sokka sneaking away but ignored him.

"I'm a quick learner and I know some ways to protect myself if I'm attacked. I'm also not a bender." As I expected Suki told me that they don't usually teach outsiders but she was willing to teach me. She was also curious about the little but of self-defence I had learned so I agreed to teach her the little I knew but warned her that most of it was dirty. I was paired off with one Kyoshi warrior, a girl named Jing.

"I'm Palartok," I explained, "just call me Pala." She looked at me curiously. I was worried that she was comparing my appearance to the water tribe siblings and then to the others on Kyoshi island. If she did realize I looked earth kingdom but had a water tribe name she said nothing, instead, lunging out at me with her fan.

I spent hours in the Kyoshi dojo, getting increasingly more and more frustrated. I was learning but it wasn't quick enough for what I wanted. After another failed attempt I took a step back.

"I'm sorry," I admitted, looking down at the green outfit I was wearing, "I don't think this is working." Suki stopped what she was doing and walked over. She placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face her.

"You're doing fine," she comforted, "but you're still too tense. You're not relaxing. You're acting as though every move you make is going to hurt." I nodded tersely and tried to relax. It didn't work. Suki sighed.

"Close your eyes." I did, "now imagine yourself at a time when you felt safe or happy in a position similar to this." I focused. An image of two brunette girls smacking thick sticks against each other appeared in my mind. My sister and I.

"Good, now lunge as I showed you." I did. I felt Suki parry the blows. I stuck out again, trying to remember the blows I had been taught. I felt my arm brush by something. Something tapped my shoulder and I opened my eyes. Suki had her fan resting there lightly.

"Good job," she praised, "you're improving. You at least weren't tense this time. Let's drill it again."

* * *

I flopped on the straw mattress, not bothering to change or even put my sleeping bag on top. I was stiff, tired, hungry, sore, and unbelievably happy. I had worked straight through dinner, determined that I would have improved somewhat. My hard work had bore fruit and while I could not hope to even match the weakest of the Kyoshi warriors currently in the rankings I was further along then I had started out. I knew a few basic blocks and attacks, I knew how to hold the fans and more importantly… I had finally figured out how to fight in a dress. I felt a blush rose up on my cheeks remembering at least four times I had tripped over my own skirt when taking a step forward. One time I went sailing into my opponent. I had been beyond humiliated but Suki and the girls had ignored the slip-ups most of the time and continued on as though nothing happened.

A knock on the door distracted me. I sat up slowly, groaning. If I hurt this much already I couldn't imagine how much pain I'd be in by tomorrow. I was truly beginning to regret that I had been a nerd instead of an athlete.

"Come in." I called. The door creaked open slowly. A familiar soft face peeked in.

"I brought you some tea." I smiled as Katara sat beside me, holding a tea cup in her hands. I took the cup, having learned that you eat what you're served. Besides the smell of tea was always a good way to get comfort. I took a whiff of the delicious mixture letting the scent wash over me.

"What type is it?" I asked, leaning back against the wall, the hot tea warning my hands.

"Jasmine." I started. The tea sloshed over the edge of the cup and onto my knee but I didn't care. I was frozen in a memory.

"Pala? Are you okay?" I looked up.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." I replied, putting the tea to the side. I looked at it a moment before turning away. Katara didn't look convinced by my answer. I brushed my braid off my shoulder but after a second pulled it back. Slowly I untied to leather strap and ran my fingers through it. My hair came out wavy and with a lot of volume. Having a natural wave in my hair meant that when I braided it not only did the braid stay in longer but my hair remained super wavy for almost an entire day. It felt strange for my hair to be this loose after a month of it staying in a braid except to wash. I felt another set of hands weave themselves into my hair and relaxed as Katara gently combed her fingers through the brunette mane.

"So what is it about Jasmine tea that made you tense?" She asked softly. I shook my head and pulled away, turning and taking a good look at Katara. She was ready for bed as well, dressed in underwear, her hair loopies pulled out of her bun so they fell down to her chest. My heart ached.

"It was my boyfriend's favourite tea. We met while he was drinking a cup actually." Katara perked up, curious.

"How did you meet?" I laughed softly allowing myself for a moment to taste the bitter sweet memory.

"I was on a… on my way home after staying at an aunt's home for a couple of days…" "Can I sit here?"_ I looked up. A young man, about my age was pointing at the seat next to me. He was rather short for a guy, standing around five foot six to my five foot seven. His cheeks and chin were rough with a light dusting of curly brown hair. His hair fell to his shoulders in perfect ringlets. His eyes were a beautiful blue. I nodded and moved over allowing him to take a seat beside me. He was dressed causally, a red and black plaid shirt and black jeans. In his hand was a blue thermos. He took off the cap. Most people I had seen used it as a cup he didn't. Instead he placed it on his lap and drank right out of the thermos. I watched in awe as his Adan's apple bobbed. He sighed then screwed the lid back on. There was silence for a moment before I caught a whiff of whatever had been in the thermos. I expected coffee or hot chocolate. The air around him smelled herbal, not gritty or sweet like coffee and hot chocolate did. It didn't even smell strong and pungent like alcohol._

_"What are you drinking?" I asked curiously. He looked at me then held out the thermos._

_"I don't want to drink it." I rolled my eyes, "I want to know what you're drinking."_

_"Tea, Jasmine tea." He replied with a shrug then with a guilty grin, "I could drink a full milk jug of this stuff." I laughed then. The image of him chugging a milk jug full of tea, seeming hilarious._

"So you two became friends after that?" Katara asked, dragging me from the memory.

"Yep, we both ended up with a mutual crush that day." I chuckled then looked at Katara thoughtfully.

"Alright off to bed with you. I need to go to sleep myself. The daughters of Kyoshi will be waiting for me."

Katara stood, leaving the tray of warm tea on my bedside table. She stopped just before the door.

"Daughters of Kyoshi?" I nodded.

"Yeah, the Kyoshi warriors call themselves that in private. Since their entire style of fighting was created by Kyoshi and they wear the same clothes as she did as a sign of honour they call themselves her daughters. Personally I think they deserve that right and Kyoshi hasn't struck them down yet. I think it's all good. Still, don't go around calling them that. It is supposed to be a secret." Katara nodded and walked out of my room. Closing the wooden door with a firm snap.


	6. Of Simple Monks and Boys in Skirts

Chapter 6  
Of Boys in Skirts and Simple Monks

"Again." Suki ordered. I lunged again, throwing my whole body behind the fan. The Kyoshi warrior nodded and ordered a different drill. I lashed out again.

"Stop." I stopped. Sweat covered my brow. I took a gasping breath, grinning like mad. The dark brunette Kyoshi warrior looked up at my fan from the ground. And grinned. The entire dojo broke into applause. I beamed. Finally after a week of working from dawn to dusk I had finally beaten a Kyoshi warrior without using any dirty tricks. Of course Suki had been calling out to me what moves to use, but that also meant that the other warrior knew what to block for so I supposed it was evened out. I took the fan back and reached down and helped the other warrior to her feet. Tan, was her name pronounced Tahn as she corrected me after I had called her Tan by accident. Tan was a year younger then me and ad been with the Kyoshi warriors for a year. Suki who was the same age as Tan was leader of the warriors simply because she was the best fighter in the group and had been training the longest, a daunting record of ten years.

"Good job," Suki beamed at me, grasping my shoulder, "you've been working hard."

"I've had five hour long practice sessions with you everyday." I grinned, "I didn't have a choice but learn quickly or be beaten into pulp." The girl's laughed. I tried to remember all their names. Jooda, Mae, Suki, Tan, Kai… I grimaced. I had always been bad at names and most of the Kyoshi warriors seemed determined that since I had 'learned' Suki's name so quickly I should at least make a good attempt at learning theirs. I really was trying and I was learning. I just didn't remember them all at once. Part of the issue was that the names heir were foreign to me. The other was that I was always bad at remembering names. Of course I 'learned' the names of the characters I knew quicker. I had known their names for years.

"Excuse me." I jumped and spun, quickly falling into the ranks of the Daughters of Kyoshi. I blinked, recognizing Sokka.

"Oh look who we got here girls." Suki mocked. I stared. I had forgotten about Sokka's apology to the warriors, to focused on my training to really remember that during this time Aang was being chased around by crazy fan girls. They had stopped coming to our borrowed 'house' after I had snapped and threatened to sic Suki on them. The girls had scattered. I learned several hours later that Coco, the ringleader of the fangirling was Suki's little sister and was supposed to be in beginner's training with Mae during that time. I sniggered remembering that little detail. Mae hadn't been pleased that Coco had been skipping training to ogle the avatar.

"I wanted to apologize." Sokka explained, getting into both knees so he was below Suki, a sign of great respect. It was used to signify that person stood above you and was common practice when giving a sincere apology.

"I thought I would be a better warrior simply because I am a guy. My only request is that you teach me as an acceptance of my apology." I frowned, I didn't remember Sokka being this formal or heartfelt in the series. But then again, I had noticed that Sokka was a lot more formal when it was called for so I shook it off as nothing big.

"We don't usually teach outsiders," Suki warned, "let alone boys." She turned and sent a cheeky grin in my direction which Sokka, who was still looking at the floor, didn't notice.

"Please teach me. I will not let you down." Sokka asked, head still directed at the floor.

"Well, you'll have to follow our traditions. And I mean, all of our traditions." I couldn't help but let a snigger slip through. I couldn't wait to see Sokka all dressed up. This was going to be good.

While the girl's dragged Sokka away, much to his confusion I watched Suki share a sky smile with the other girls. They were seriously going to make Sokka pay for those sexist comments. I sighed, Sokka would learn, after all if Suki didn't do the trick Toph or Katara would. I paused as I thought about Toph. Should I convince everyone to go to Toph's home? And if I did what would I say. I paused, how would I even know it was where Toph lived anyways. Besides I told myself, even if we did pick up Toph early she shouldn't teach Aang until he at least was semi-efficient with water. Plus, Toph saw with her feet because of earth. She would be miserable on the pole anyways. It was better to leave her as she was.

I was distracted by my thoughts at the sudden emergence of Sokka who was looking absolutely humiliated. The makeup was smudged and clashed with his warriors wolf tail badly, however the uniform itself didn't look that bad at all. Not that it made him look good either. To my surprise Suki called out, "Alright everyone you get today off, I'm doing a private lesson right now." I nodded and with the rest of the class walked out of the dojo.  
While everyone else went off to do their own thing I headed up to our 'house'. Katara would be there. I hadn't spent a lot of time with my travelling companions while I tried to learn how to fight but now I was pleased with my performance. Maybe it was time to take a small break before beginning again. I snorted to myself, if I worked any harder I would end up like Zuko, so focused on one thing I would forget everything else. That boy had a bad case of tunnel vision. I jumped when my mind came to Zuko. I had forgotten about Zuko and Sokka's apology heralded his arrival. I took off towards the beach as fast as I could go.

When I arrived there the beach was deserted. I looked around and allowed myself time to think. I really needed to start using my brain. Time passed normally here which meant that Zuko wouldn't arrive right away. Neither would Aang go swimming with the Unagi. I was being ridiculous. Still… I took a seat on the cold sand and looked out over the bay. A elephant koi lept out of the water, its orange and white scales glittering with water droplets. I needed to plan out my actions to the best of my ability so I at least had a direction in which to go. First off I needed to know how I should approach the next biggest hurtle, facing Zuko. Since I was a part of the Kyoshi Warriors training I would undoubtedly end up joining in the fight. I could choose to avoid Zuko at all costs and let everyone else deal with him, fight him if it came to it or go head to head with him. The problem was that if I avoided him I might end up getting someone hurt because of my negligence. If I faced him head on I better prepare myself to be pummelled because I was nowhere near Zuko's level. Unless I had some way of distracting him. Mentally I thought of a couple of ways I could distract him easily. Insult Iroh? Na, besides I liked Iroh to much myself. Call him Zuzu? Sure, if I wanted to match his scar. I sighed, what could I do to get Zuko's attention?

Inspiration struck me hard. I gaped at the air, wondering why I hadn't thought of it sooner. The idea was pure genius, plus it could possibly help undermine his thought process and make him think outside the box. The only question was if I was brave or stupid enough to actually try it. There was also a risk that saying what I planned to say would change the story forever in ways I couldn't imagine. Still by the time it would start to effect all the other changes I would undoubtedly make would have caught up by then as well. I leaned back. I was screwing myself six ways to Sunday and then delivering myself to hell in a hand basket. Still I would do it, as long as my nerve didn't abandon me at the worst of times.

* * *

I returned to the house before hiding myself in my room to get together my mini speech. I spent several moments trying to imagine Zuko as he looked at the end of the series in all his Fire Lord Glory. If I wanted this to work then I needed to believe in it.

I must have fallen asleep because I was woken to a loud "FINE!" And the sound of a door slamming. I blinked blearily. The voice had sounded vaguely like Aang's. I sat up, I was still dressed in my Kyoshi Warrior's garb, makeup smeared over the bed from where I had fallen asleep. Sighing I stood and grabbed a cloth from the bowl which stood on the table beside my bed. I rubbed my face briskly, taking off a;l the residual makeup. Besides, whenever Zuko attacked I wanted him to identify who I was. A random Kyoshi Warrior talking to him wouldn't do my plan much good.

Once my face was clear of all the makeup I walked out into the main room. Katara was there, staring darkly into a puddle of water on the floor, a wooden bowl tipped over on its side.

"Katara?" I asked, slowly approaching, "are you okay?" I had never seen Katara look so angry. Her entire face seemed shrouded by shadow, a black fire burned in her eyes.

"I'm fine," she snapped, not moving to look at me, "it's not like I care." I looked at her, puzzled as to why she wouldn't care and what she didn't care about. Then I remembered the sound of Aang's voice which I had woken to.

"You and Aang got into a fight?" I asked, taking a seat next to her.

"So what? See if I care. He should get eaten, that would show him."

"Katara, I know you don't think that, you're worried for him which is why you're crying-"

"I'M NOT CRYING!" Katara bellowed. I jumped back as a large stream of water hit me in the face. I gasped as the cold liquid impacted like a slap. Katara jumped, looking at me with wide eyes.  
"Oh my gosh Pala I am so sorry," she cried, staring at my smarting face. I winced from the pain but shook it off with a forced smile.

"No problem, but Katara, I already washed my face today." The witty comeback caught both Katara and I by surprise. Katara let out a chocked sob which might have also been a laugh, before burying her head in my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her, heart aching for this woman in a child's body. A young girl but with old eyes. So soon they would come to be that much older. As would Aang's. Fire Lord Sozin would never be able to compensate for all those children who had lost their childhoods because of him. I felt fury build up against the fire nation but I quickly directed it back where it belonged, with Ozai and Sozin. I could feel the wet spots on my shoulder, nose, eyes and mouth as Katara cried. I hadn't realized that Aang had effected her this badly in the show. She had seemed to get over it quickly. There had to be something else going on.

"Katara, it's okay… shhhh… is the fight with Aang the only thing bothering you?" She shook her head, not willing to surface yet.

"Can you tell me what is?" She shook her head again. I sighed and gently stroked the back of her head. She'd tell someone when she was ready.

After another few minutes Katara pulled out of my shoulder and hiccuped. I sighed then stood and picked up another cloth before returning to her and handing the damp cloth over. She wiped her eyes and cheeks, then her mouth and nose. I took the cloth again and put it with the other dirty clothes in a bucket. We would wash them later.

"Feeling better?" I asked softly. Katara nodded then waterbended the water on the floor back into its wooden bowl. She looked at the wooden dish blankly before dumping the water outside. She was still shaking despite not crying any more so I kept a close eye on her while I helped myself to some sort of porridge with fruit and milk. After a second Katara joined me, nibbling on a cheese biscuit.

"I'm sorry…" Katara apologized, "I ruined your uniform." I looked down at the top then shrugged, "Nah, you didn't ruin it. It will com out in a good wash. Do you think I could convince Zuko a monster was trying to maul me?"

"Who's Zuko?" I froze and mentally began berating myself. Seriously I had to start watching what I said or one day I was going to let something slip which couldn't be explained away as easily as Zuko's name.

"The guy who's been chasing after Aang, he's the prince of the fire nation." Katara paled but nodded. I quickly moved to calm her, "he won't have anyone else helping him besides his current crew. He's not exactly in his father's favour currently." Katara nodded absently.

"I need to go and see if Aang is okay."

"Go ahead," I agreed. While Katara walked off I allowed myself to grimace. I really needed to watch what I was saying. I shook my head. I took a deep breath, steeling my nerves and touching the necklace I had bought. I hadn't taken it off since buying it, not that anyone knew. Heck, no one even knew I had bought it. Personally I didn't mind either way. I walked back in my room and packed up my bag. Inside was my sleeping bag, parka and the two sets of Earth Kingdom clothes that I had been given. Once I was done with that I grabbed Sokka and Katara's stuff as well. Aang's staff was gone so I assumed he had taken it with him. I did another double check to make sure no one had forgotten anything then took the items down.

Appa was munching on hay in the back of the building, looking very pleased. Momo was sitting on the bison's horns watching me, big ears alert.  
"Hey boys I need to leave this stuff with you okay?" I asked, clambering onto Appa via tail and securing all the items. Appa grumbled as turned his head to see what I was doing but quickly became disinterested and went back to munching hay. Momo on the other hand flew from his perch and landed on my shoulder to observe my activities. I laughed and petted his soft ears before shooing him off my shoulder. He chattered at me, annoyed before flying away. I chuckled, brushed a strand of loose hair out of my eyes then headed into town.

* * *

Zuko's ship was spotted during the early evening, I'd guess nearly five o'clock, not that I could accurately tell time anymore. All I could really guess was basic time periods, before noon", noon, after noon and of course morning, afternoon, evening, and night. I joined the other Kyoshi warriors who were standing under the statue of Kyoshi. To my surprise Suki and Sokka were there as well. Suki was handing out fans to everyone. I grabbed a pair, the metal fans were heavy but I had become accustomed to that. What I wasn't used to was the sharpened edge and the strange coating.

"What's on this?" I asked Suki touching the cool jell like substance covering the fan.

"It stops the fan from heating up and burning you if Firebenders grab it. It can also protect you from fire it's a natural fire repellant." I nodded and took both fans, trying to get used to their feel. Suki explained her plan of attack, keep hidden then engage on her cue. I pretty much ignored it. I would follow her plan to a point before breaking off into my own. Besides I had read somewhere that no plan survived initial contact with the enemy.

I took my position, choosing a place where I could see the firebenders as they came towards the village as well as most of the village itself while remaining on the front lines. If there was anytime that I was going to prove myself a capable fighter it was now. Now or never. I waited, crouched on the far side of the rooftop watching the slow progress to the village. I watched as the rhinos moved. They were slow, cumbersome beasts but built like tanks. I wouldn't be able to hurt them but I could out manoeuvre them. That was what I was counting on. No the rhinos would be fine as long as I stayed away from their horns, it was the benders who were the real threat.

It seemed like eons before Zuko and his men arrived, the quick pounding of my heart making every step take twice as long. It seemed like it should be night but it was only half an hour that the rhinos had been walking. It was infuriating since a normal walk would take five minutes and the most. I wondered why the firebenders didn't just leave the rhinos behind, the animals were giving their enemies lots of time to prepare. Finally though, Zuko and his cohorts were here. Suki made a motion and the signal was quickly passed around. I took my turn, as one of the people on the roofs anyone in my area would look for my signal. I quickly made the move, catching Sokka's eye. His eyes widened and he gestured at his face. I pretended to grimace silently pleased that I was so easily recognizable. Zuko would spot me right away.

Now that we were all ready we were simply waiting to strike. One Kyoshi warrior would rush out when they felt the time was right and the rest would follow. I waited until Zuko was well within my sights, but not close enough for his beast to attack me before I jumped off the roof. Dust and dirt puffed up in a cloud around me drawing all eyes to me. Just as I expected Zuko took one good look at me before glaring.

"You."  
"Me." I replied, a cheeky grin on my face. Zuko growled. It was then the Kyoshi warriors attacked. I almost lost Zuko in the sudden onslaught. Almost. The prince of fire pushed through the crowd of girls(and only boy) to get to the only one without makeup. Me. I wasn't going to make it hard for him.

I charged forward and dodged to the side, attacking from the part of the rhino that didn't have goring horns of whip like tail. I smashed my fan against Zuko only to be parried away by a fist full of fire. Whatever the special coating on this fan did the trick worked and Zuko's flame never touched me. I closed my fan and swung it at him again. He used the metal gauntlet on his wrist to stop that particular blow. The fan rung with the sound of metal on metal.

I was dimly aware of everyone else fighting Zuko's hordes of soldiers. I heard shouts and screams and the distinctive sound of metal ringing upon metal. My fan got caught in a corner of Zuko's armour. I tugged in alarm but it didn't budge. Zuko liked at me, then tore the fan out of his shoulder armour where I had struck again. His armour was thick and I was beginning to doubt that I was leaving much more then bruises so I jumped ahead on my plan.

I leaned in close, startling Zuko. He brought his wrist up to his face, expecting another attack when I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."

* * *

_Oh boy Maddi is in trouble isn't she? So for those of you who may be confused, Pala/Maddi wants the attention of Zuko and really doesn't have to many options. She could mention his mother but then he would attack her point blank, she doesn't want to bring up Iroh because one she doesn't want to insult the dragon of the west and two, she has a lot of respect for his character (note I didn't say him because she doesn't actually know him yet). So she chooses to call him fire lord. If Zuko was normal he would take it one of three ways and possibly get confused, is she against me, for me or mocking me. Of course the Zuko we know and love currently is full of anger and angst so he instantly jumps to the worst possible conclusion. Pala/Maddi on the other hand hadn't realized this and is right now simply glad that she has Zuko's attention like she wanted. Of course she is aware of the danger, otherwise she wouldn't have said that she'd be screwed six ways to Sunday and sent to hell in a hand basket. _

_Next chapter involves a very angry fire prince, and Pala/Maddi getting a little carried away and by accident giving out some misinformation. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review to let me know if there is anyway I can improve. _

_Thank you, Princess Kassie Out. _


	7. Hail the Fire Lord

Chapter 7

Hail the Fire Lord

_A/N: I just want to thank everyone who has followed/favourited/and reviewed to this story. Your added support has inspired me to write a bit quicker then expected and now this chapter has come in several hours early. However, in this chapter I want to address two things right away. One there are two lines which are written in caps. I did this to accentuate just how loud and fierce the characters are being at that moment. I know caps isn't something a lot of people like seeing and I agree it can get annoying when used all the time for shouting in a story. However when used at the right times for the right reasons I believe it can add to the story. I also want to point out that for the first time in this chapter I will be leaving Maddi's point of view for a couple of pages. This is important to the story as this second characters point of view needs to be seen to fully understand the full effect of Maddi's words here. I hope that clears everything that could cause potential issues here. To make it perfectly clear which part of this chapter belongs to who you will see a name in both italics and underlined. Like this: __Maddison__. Thank you and I hope that clears everything up. _

_Princess Kassie Out. _

* * *

_I leaned in close, startling Zuko. He brought his wrist up to his face, expecting another attack when I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear._  
_"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."_

Zuko's reaction was priceless. He froze for a second, just staring at me in shock. I quickly spun and took off through the crowd of warriors, giving plenty of space between myself and the prince. I wasn't exactly sure what his reaction would be but I didn't want to risk being injured. Besides, I needed him to follow me.

I pushed my way through the Kyoshi warriors who mostly ignored me. Zuko on the other hand kept being stopped by attacking warriors, one of whom I was sure was Sokka. I slipped behind a house and waited. Four seconds later Zuko, without his rhino came charging after me. Both hands alight with fire. I instinctively ducked, slapping my hands to the ground as a bolt of the flames shot over my head.

"What did you do that for?" I shouted, I had figured that he might be angry but this was beyond what I had assumed.

"You dare mock me?" Zuko bellowed back, smoke pouring from his nose and mouth. I blinked then sat up, and looked at him. Zuko thought I had been mocking him. Well now I understood why he was so angry.

"I'm not making fun of you," I pointed out, standing, "You are the next fire lord."

"I'm banished," Zuko snarled, "I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the avatar." I eyed his position. He was tense, body ridged. He was prepared to start fighting. Then again, so was I. Neither of us really trusted the other.

"That's one of your options," I admitted, "the other is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would a better leader then Ozai is then overthrow him."

"Blasphemy." Zuko snarled, his hands lighting up again. Fury built up inside me as a hundred faces assaulted my memory. Faces of those I knew and those who I had yet to met. Katara and Sokka who lost their mother, forcing Katara to replace her and become a mother to her elder brother. Aang who had lost everything because of the fire nation. The children of the water tribe, so young but having to learn how to defend themselves so they could simply survive. Sura, my water tribe companion who had panicked at the sight of a fire nation flare, Sura, whose full pain I would never know. Then came characters I had yet to meet. Teo who lost his mother and ability to walk then nearly his home because of the fire nation. Bato who had been burned so badly that his family had to leave him behind for at least a week. Haru who's father was locked away by the fire nation until he had no hope left. Iroh, crying over the makeshift memorial of Lu-Ten in Ba-Sing-Se. Zuko. What sort of father could do that to his own son?

"Blasphemy?" I snarled, pulling myself to my full height. I was shorter then Zuko by a inch or two but at that moment I didn't care. I looked at him straight on, gold eyes to brown.

"Blasphemy?" I repeated again. "Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him families have been torn apart, lives ripped to shreds. He has left children to become old men and women in young bodies. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his own family." That was a wrong step on my side. Zuko completely caught fire, it flickered and burned up his arms and almost to his shoulders.  
"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I bellowed back, my voice unusually high. Zuko reeled like he had been shot, eyes wide.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko." I said softly, "your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on. You have the heart to be a good leader, one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love." Zuko stared at me, mouth slack. He didn't seem to know what to say. We were silent for a long time. Finally Zuko croaked out, his voice suddenly hoarse.

"How… what… who are you?" I laughed gently and replied.

"I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom, adopted into the water tribe, with the soul of an air nomad. I suppose you can say I am a girl of all nations." I shrugged and allowed myself to relax . Zuko didn't, instead he suddenly stood erect and looked at me with huge eyes.

"What?" I asked, confused. Why was he looking at me like that? He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Nothing," he replied, a little too quickly. He looked so lost all of a sudden, like his armour was to big for him. I paused then looked back to the village. I could smell smoke. Stiffening I looked at Zuko.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." I turned to leave when Zuko asked for something I never expected from him.

"What's your name?"

"Madison, Maddi for short. My water tribe name is Palartok. Pala for short."

* * *

_Zuko_

"Long Live Fire Lord Zuko." I stared at the strange girl. She was the same one who had thrown snow at my face back at the South Pole. I would recognize the peasant anywhere and once again she was mocking me. I felt my internal fire ignite, adding to my anger. The peasant girl sprinted away, adding salt to the wound. She was a coward, unwilling to even face the one she insulted. I snarled and began pushing my way through the group of little girls. The rhino was taking to long, at this rate I'd lose her. I jumped off pushing through the crowd, occasionally shooting a blast of fire at the girls in green. I felt my frustration spike as another girl attacked me. With a cry of rage I pushed her backwards into a house. She slammed against the wall with a resounding crack, her green and gold headpiece falling off. There was a shout of anger and other girl in green, this one with a vaguely similar hairstyle charged up to me. I knocked her aside, ignoring her panicked cries.

I followed the peasant behind a row of wooden houses. There she turned and looked at me. I shot my fist out, sending an intense stream of fire at her head. She would pay for insulting me. She dropped to the ground, the blaze missing her. Then she looked up, her dark eyes blazing.

"What did you do that for?" She shouted.

"You dare mock me?" I shouted back. I didn't care about whether or not she got injured. Her words were not going to be tolerated. She was throwing my banishment back in my face, mocking me. "I'm not making fun of you," she replied pulling herself up from the ground. "You are the next fire lord." How could she say something like that? Was she stupid? How would I, a banished prince with no honour ever become fire lord. It wouldn't happen, not without the avatar in chains on my boat.

"I'm banished, I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the avatar." I glared at her. She didn't react to my look. Instead she seemed to be assessing me, looking for my week points perhaps. Good luck. I snorted. She looked up to met my eyes. She seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

"That's one of your options," she replied. One of my options, it was my only option. Zhao's words echoed in my head, 'you're just a banished prince. Your own father doesn't even want you.'

"The other," she continued catching my attention, "is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would be a better leader then Ozai, then overthrow him." I froze. She was suggesting I overthrow my father, did she know what she was saying? No one in the fire nation would ever accept my rule if I overthrew my father. I would be assassinated before I could even accept the crown.

"Blasphemy." I snarled. How could I overthrow my father. He had done what he had to. Punish his only son so that he could learn from his mistake. My father was all powerful in the fire nation, no one would ever challenge his word there. It was exactly what I had said, blasphemy. My hands caught on fire. I needed to show this ignorant peasant that she knew nothing of Agni and her people.

Blasphemy?" she snarled, lips curling over her teeth like some feral animal pulling herself to her full height. If she was attempting to intimidate me she was failing. She looked at me straight on, dark brown eyes meting my gold ones.

"Blasphemy?" She repeated again before starting in on me, taking several steps forward unconsciously.

"Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him, families have been torn apart, lives ripped to shreds." She threw her arm out, as if gesturing to the entire island we were standing upon.

"He has left children to become old men and women in young bodies. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his own family." Look what he has done to his own family. This girl knew something, something about the royal family that no one else but nobles knew. But she was wrong. My father had done nothing to hurt his country, he loved the fire nation.

"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LEARN A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I reeled back, stunned. This strange girl, this nobody of a peasant not only knew it was my father who burned me, but also believed that I was better then him. Her voice rang in my ears. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being.

I was snapped out of my train of thought by her once again. This time her voice soft and low.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko. your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on." There was no way she honestly believed that. Why did she think so highly of me. What she see that I didn't?

"You have the heart to be a good leader," she continued, "one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love." I had the heart of a good leader? Who was this girl? How did she know me? What did she now about me? All those questions and more swirled around my head. I needed to know.

"How… what… who are you?" I stuttered all the questions trying to escape at once, leaving my voice hoarse and giving me a large stutter.

She smiled coyly as though she knew something I didn't, which she must otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hang it over my head. Otherwise she wouldn't know me so well.

"I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom, was adopted into the water tribe, with the soul of an air nomad. I suppose you can say I am a girl of all nations." She didn't seem to care about what she was saying, shrugging her shoulders like she said that everyday. A girl of all nations. Yet… it hit me like a blot of lighting. I'm a girl who looks earth kingdom. She wasn't earth kingdom, she was adopted into the water tribe and the air benders were extinct. That only left one nation as her homeland. Fire nation.

This girl was fire nation. It was the only answer that made sense, the fact she looked like she belonged to one of the higher classes of the earth kingdom wasn't that unusual, it was exceptionally common in the colonies or in the poorer parts of my homeland. Our homeland technically.

"What?" The girl asked, looking confused. Had she not meant to give the hint or was I dong something strange? I shook myself out of my stupor.

"Nothing," I blurted, suddenly not wanting to disappoint her. She was from my homeland and she believed I would be a better Fire Lord then my father.  
Part of me, a part that spoke in Azula's voice whispered that she was delusional. I ignored it. I wanted to believe that she honestly believed in me. I wasn't sure why but it felt… nice. The girl looked up and closed her eyes. I wasn't sure what she was doing until she turned back to me.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." She turned away when it occurred to me, I didn't know something that was very important.

"What's your name?"

"Madison, Maddi for short. My water tribe name is Palartok. Pala for short." She smiled then tore off. I stayed still for a moment before hurtling back into the battle. Running to my men I searched the skies. There, the bison with the brown arrow was taking off. On its back was the familiar forms of the avatar and his water tribe peasant friend. Maddison and the water tribe boy weren't there.

* * *

_Maddi_

I slipped out from behind the houses. Somehow the Kyoshi warriors were holding the fire soldiers off fairly well. Could it be possible that Zuko the best trained on his ship besides Iroh? That didn't make sense but it was beginning to look that way. Than again, the Kyoshi warriors were fighting with a ferocity I had never seen from them before. I didn't have a chance to wonder why because I heard Sokka call my name.

"Pala!" I turned, a smile on my face only for it to freeze there. Sokka was crouched next to a wooden building, one of the few that wasn't burning at all. Beside him was Suki, but she wasn't kissing him, she wasn't moving at all. Her head lolled to the side, unconscious and her left leg was bent at an angle that shouldn't exist on a human body. I felt sick. Suki, sweet, kind, Suki was badly injured. I tore over to Sokka, taking a spot beside him. First things first.  
"Is she breathing?" Sokka nodded, I noticed his hands were shaking as he supported her head. I worried for a moment that her neck was broken but it didn't look that way, not that I knew everything. I had gone through a basic first aid course two years ago for a refresher on my babysitting licence but I hardly remembered any of it.

"Keep her safe, I'll get a healer here." I stated before tearing off across town. I tried to remember the name of the healer here but it escaped me. Instead I shouted, calling for a healer in a panicked voice. If Suki died the story would change forever, but more importantly, If Suki died I would have lost a friend and it would have all been my fault. The healer stepped out of one of the buildings that wasn't burning and far from the fire. She came running at my call, running right past me. I didn't argue, instead following her. In my head a mantra chanted out. Don't let her die, dear God protect her please.

Both the healer, whose name I still didn't remember, and I skidded to a stop next to Suki. I was dimly aware that I had been leading the woman here but I was to focused on my friend of particularly care. Sokka was looking near hysterics as I didn't exactly feel much better. The healer ignored is both, instead gently moving over to Suki with experienced eyes. She took the girl's wrist and felt for a pulse before relaxing visibly. She then dug into her bag, pulling out a pair of rods and white cloth strips.

"You," she snapped at Sokka, "grab her leg here, firmly." Sokka did as she asked, wrapping his hands above the break. The healer then grabbed on wait her side of the break and with a sickening sound set the leg back into a normal position. Quickly the healer took both rods and wrapped the linen cloths around the rods and Suki's leg. Once that was completely wrapped up she took a small container, uncorked it and waved it under Suki's nose. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors woke slowly. She seemed a little out of it, her head lolling to the side as she nearly fell asleep again. I heard the healer cuss beside me.  
"By the mother of faces." She hissed causing me to look at her. I had seen the comic The Search but I hadn't realized that people would feel free to call the names of spirits whenever they wanted.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's hit her head and contracted the sleeping illness." She replied tersely, "if she falls asleep she may never wake up." I started, looking at Suki in shock. A concussion. I remembered that I had gotten one as well. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the medicines and medicinal practices they had here in this world were less effective then the ones at home. Then again they didn't need to worry about super-bugs that much because they didn't have issues with people taking heavy medication for every little thing. I noticed Sokka waving the smelling salts under Suki's nose to keep her awake. Suki responded slowly, whispering something that only Sokka could hear. Sokka replied, equally as quiet. I left the two to their private conversation and instead turned to focus on the village around us. Zuko's soldiers were gone, only the crackling fire and injured Kyoshi warriors that said they had been here.

"Is Suki going to be okay?" Kai asked, looking worriedly at her leader who was still softly conversing with Sokka who suddenly seemed very bashful. Had I missed something in the short time I was observing the village? The healer told the Kyoshi warriors the same thing she told me, that Suki should be alright as long as she didn't fall asleep until this time tomorrow.

It began to rain. I jumped as the heavy downpour struck all at once drenching everyone. The droplets stung where they fell, hard and fast, like icy needles pricking our skin. While the 'rain' was nasty and smelled a bit like dead fish I noticed that the fires were going out. I grimaced when I realized the rain was getting Unagi spit. Still it did the trick and by the time the water stopped all the fires had been put out.

"Maddi!" I turned to see Aang running up to me.

"Where's Sokka? We got to go."

"He's with Suki," I quickly explained, "she was hurt in the battle pretty badly." Aang's expression went from worried, to that of a kicked puppy. I didn't have time to wonder why.

"Will she be okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"She'll be fine, now we need to go right?" Aang nodded so I turned back and called to Sokka. The water tribe warrior looked up and hurried over. Aang gestured to us and we followed him quickly to where Appa stood near the wooden statue of Kyoshi. Sokka and I clambered up along with Aang.

"Yip yip!" Aang cried and we took off. As we flew I looked over Appa's back to stare into the water. I caught myself smiling at the sight of Zuko's ship. I was sure I had started to make a difference and from now on, nothing was going to hold me back.

* * *

_A/N: so let me know what you think. How do you like this chapter? What did you think of the misunderstanding between Maddi and Zuko?_

_I also want to address a review I got here from Kilppari since I want to explain my reasoning for Maddi/Pala calling Zuko Fire Lord. As you saw, Maddi believes that Zuko would make a better fire lord than Ozai (which everyone in this world knows well) however, as for why she didn't bring up that Roku was his great-great grandfather. I needed a strong reaction from Zuko for this chapter to work well and I don't think that telling him that his ancestor is Roku would have gotten the reaction this chapter required for it to wok. Zuko would have been curious but it wouldn't have distracted him from the avatar. He might have asked Iroh about it after, then approached Maddi but I wanted this chapter for my readers to really see the changes that are beginning to occur._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	8. Mad King Bumi

Chapter 8

Mad King Bumi

_A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter has taken so long. My weekend, which is when I do my best writing and editing(as well as my posting) was disrupted by my house being evacuated by the RCMP which was terrifying in itself, then my boyfriend invited me out to dinner. He's going to college in two weeks in another province and I just couldn't say no to him. Then yesterday I was scheduled for a long day at work. Well now that is all over so I'm posting this chapter. I'm sorry but life happens, anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's not very exciting but it does have some nice character development.  
Princess Kassie Out._

Omashu. It was a beautiful view from the cliff we stood upon to to huge cone shaped city. At the top was a brilliant green palace which housed King Bumi, Aang's old friend. I wondered for a moment how Bumi became the king of Omashu. It was in the earth kingdom, therefore under the rule of the Earth King. Unless it was it's own city-state Bumi shouldn't be calling himself King at all. I glanced at Aang, who was grinning excitedly and at Sokka who was staring at the small city in awe. For him it was beyond impressive. Buildings made out of stone, wood and brick would last a great deal longer then the tents of animal hide and igloos that the southern water tribe used as their homes. They were also more durable then the all wooden houses of Kyoshi island. Katara looked just as impressed as her brother, staring at the city with wide eyes. I too was impressed, it was one thing to see a city like this on TV but it was totally different to see it in real life.

"Come on, I have so much to show you guys." Aang cried, his face alight. He took three a steps before realizing the rest of is weren't following him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, using airbending to spin himself back to face us.

"Well… back on Kyoshi island, remember how Zuko found us?" Katara asked. Aang nodded. Katara had spilt the beans so now the entire group knew that the 'crazy stalker guy' was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Aang had gotten confused as to how I knew his name so I fibbed and said I had heard the prince's uncle call him Prince Zuko. That had made Katara look at me strangely until I added that it was common knowledge that the prince had been banished. It had been a close call and it had really caused me to wonder when I was going to tell my friends about my knowledge. For now I was just going with the flow but sooner or later I would have to fess up and tell my friends that I had known their future even before I had met them. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation so for now I was avoiding it as best I could.

"Yeah," Aang replied, "so?"

"Well Sokka and I were thinking… it might be better for you to be disguised so he won't find us. We don't want him to come storming into Omashu." Katara shuffled her feet, looking away from Aang. I could tell she didn't want to order him about, but she did feel that she was protecting us, and to Katara there was nothing more important. Aang frowned but seemed to understand the reasoning behind it.

I stared blankly at the box we were 'borrowing' and quickly decided I did not want to be part of this roller coaster ride. Aang bounced in then, Sokka and lastly Katara. I stayed out. That caught Aang's attention.

"Maddi? Aren't you coming?" I shook my head.

"Sorry Aang, I really am not interested." The young avatar though, wouldn't take no for an answer he gave me the biggest pair of puppy eyes I had ever seen. The big grey orbs were unnaturally cute. I groaned, knowing full well I was going to regret this division, and clambered in behind Katara.

The ride was crazy. I couldn't keep up with everything that was happening. One second we were being chased by a rack of spears, the next we were crashing through apartment buildings. It all seemed to happen so quickly then, just as quickly we landed on the cabbage merchant's stall. Destroying his cabbages for a second time that day.

Then, just as quickly we were marched up to Bumi's castle. Aang, Sokka, Katara and I were shoved down onto our knees in front of the badly dressed royal figure. Bumi looked ancient, his skin covered in moles, pockmarks and wrinkles. His back was deformed, but I knew that to be not from an actual hunchback but from the way he hid his muscular body.

"Off with their heads! One for every piece of mutilated cabbage!"

"I don't think there are enough heads here." I felt no sorrow for teasing the guy who wanted my friends and I killed, even if we did ruin his livelihood. He had proved that they were easily replaced.

"Silence. Only the king can give them their sentence." I looked at my friends. Katara was giving her best, innocent little girl look, Sokka was pleading mentally and Aang… seemed uninterested. Bumi caught my eye and I noticed he was looking at me. Curious I met his gaze, a single eyebrow raised.

"Throw them…" Bumi started, causing the entire area to fall quiet. Everyone was completely focused on Bumi.

"A feast!" I snorted, classic Bumi. I turned when I heard a thud, the cabbage merchant had fainted.

* * *

The feast was prepared surprisingly quickly. Knowing Bumi this was probably common. Either way we ended up sitting across from the king, Aang and Katara in the middle of the table and Sokka and I on the edges.

"You must forgive me but my people have become fat from multiple feasts. So I hope you like your chicken without any skin." Sokka wasn't able to answer, his mouth stuffed full. While I agreed it was nice to eat meat again, I had to admit he was overdoing it.

"It's fine, thank you." I replied quickly which Katara and Aang were exchanging looks.

"How about you, bald kid in the middle?" Aang was looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Ah, no thanks. I don't eat meat."

"Oh? Pity, you're missing out on quite a good fare." Aang shrugged. I was paying more attention to Bumi then my friends, which was the only reason why I saw the elderly earthbender take a leg of chicken out of his sleeve and throw it at Aang. To Aang and the others it seemed that the leg of chicken practically appeared out of nowhere. Aang caught the chicken with a gust of air, causing it to look like it was spinning between his hands like magic. I had to admit I was impressed. I still loved seeing bending at work. Briefly I wondered what it would be like to bend, to control all that power. I pushed the thoughts aside. I didn't have time to wonder about that right now.

"We have an Airbender in our midst!" Bumi called to his guards.

"And not just any Airbender, the avatar." Alarm filled Aang's expression. He dropped the chicken leg, shoving his hands behind his back as if to hide the deed. Then again, this was Bumi the crazy king, what more did I expect?

* * *

The 'Newly Refurbished Chamber that was Once Bad' was actually surprisingly nice. Also there was an extra bed in it so instead of three there were four. I wondered briefly if upon seeing me Bumi had ordered in an extra bed. I decided not to question it to much and instead flopped onto one of the green beds. It was so nice and surprisingly comfortable. I heard my friends talking but I was to exhausted to care. The bed was soft and comfortable and while the gems in. The walls did give off light, the glow was soft enough that sleep wouldn't be hard to come by.

I must have fallen asleep sooner then I thought for the nest thing I knew I was waking up with a hand pressed over my mouth. I yelped in shock but the sound was muffled. I noticed Katara and Sokka fighting their own captors. Despite our struggles we were dragged out of the chamber and into a earthen corridor. It was only after we were sealed away from Aang that the guards let go of our mouths. Katara started calling for Aang, Sokka started making threats but I remained quiet. I was thinking, hard. Finally I spoke.

"I demand to see king-" I caught myself from saying Bumi's name and corrected my sentence.

"I demand to see the king." The guard holding my arms chuckled.

"Sorry but no one sees the king unless the king wants to see them." There was the sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor at a breakneck pace. It was a thin man who was looking rather desperate. Panting he stopped upon coming up to us.

"Forgive me for intruding," he gasped, wiping a sheen of sweat off his brow, "but the king has demanded to see the one called Madison." I blinked in surprise. Well, that had worked out well.

"That's me."

I was escorted down to see King Bumi in the same chamber that he would be seeing Aang in later. Much to my horror he was wearing the purple garment that he had faced Aang in. I grimaced, if I had thought it looked bad in cartoon that was nothing compared to this. If there's one thing I could say about Bumi though, it was that he never felt shy to state exactly what he was thinking. Which is why as soon as the guards left he came straight up to me then stated at point blank.

"So Madison how are you enjoying our world?" I gaped at Bumi in utter shock. How on earth had he figured it out that didn't come from this world? How on earth did he know?

"What are you, omnipotent?" I blurted out. Bumi laughed, but didn't answer, instead he asked with a loud cackle.

"What do you think of my outfit?"

"I'm not the one wearing it, you are." Was my quick response. Honestly I thought the outfit was horrific and worthy of being burned but I didn't want to offend Bumi, the life of my friends were possibly on the line. I doubted that but better safe then sorry.

"Humm," Bumi replied.

"So what did you want me here for?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Why did you ask for me?" He retorted. I grimaced, well I might as well put my cards down, Bumi wouldn't let me keep them hidden anyways.

"As you know I'm from another world. Well I also know the path this world is going to take-"

"Is or was?" Bumi chuckled. I stopped, feeling slightly unnerved. Coughing uncomfortably I continued.

"I'm… not sure yet." I admitted before continuing on. Bumi leaned back on a chair he must have bended into creation for I was sure it hadn't been there before.

"Well, I know that you were going to use creeping crystal on our fingers so instead… take me prisoner." I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable, Bumi's knowing stare seemed to pierce through my logic and sharp wit to see something soft and venerable inside.

"And why should I do that? For all I know they'll leave you behind."

"They would never do that!" I cried. Aang, Sokka and Katara were my friends even if they were younger then me, they would never leave me behind and I would never leave them behind.

"Even if you could go home?" My heart slipped a beat. I was suddenly aware of everything going on around me. I wanted to go home but… I felt a pang in my heart. Sokka, Katara, all the people from the water tribe and even Aang had become close to me. They had befriended me and even more, become a second family. I had become so close to them in such a short time… how painful would the thought of leaving be after Ozai was defeated. And yet I still wanted to see my family, at least say a proper goodbye, tell them how wonderful it was here, joke with my sister how much she reminded me of Toph or how cute Sokka, her Avatar crush was. Then I'd give them every little detail I could remember, everything I could think of.

I couldn't answer. It seemed like I stood there forever. I was stuck. Going home I would be able to see my family again, assure them that I was safe and happy. But I knew that they would never believe my story, they would think I convinced myself that my adventures in the avatar world were hiding some hidden hurt. Two months ago I would have thought the same thing. Never going back I would get a new family, new friends, a new life without the mistakes of my past but my birth family would go on believing I was dead and I would never know if they were okay as well. That was another danger of returning, to go home and find out that I was the only survivor.

"Deal." I jumped from my thoughts to look at Bumi in surprise.

"Escort miss Madison back to the newly refurbished chamber and make sure she is comfortable." Bumi ordered his guards. I hadn't noticed them coming in, still shell shocked from his question. The guards were firm with their hold on me as they guided me away from Bumi's throne room and back to the chamber. I barely paid any attention, my mind focused on other things of which there belonged no right answers.

I was awoken from the slumber I had fallen into out of boredom by one of the guards. I blinked and flipped over.

"The avatar has passed all of the king's tests, you are free to go." I jumped up, beaming in excitement. Aang had passed, like I had known he would. I all but sprinted out of the doorway the guard had been kind enough to bend open for me and down the hallway. I slowed as I approached the throne room, entering just in time to see Aang hug Bumi.

"Aang, you haven't changed a bit. Literally!" Bumi exclaimed.

"Thanks, um, Bumi can you let Maddi go now?"

"Already done," I called, grinning at the dramatic entrance. There was a yell and suddenly I was being squished by three sets of bodies all coming in for hugs. I yelped and faked suffocation.

"Guys… can't … breathe." I was feeling so much better then I had started this morning. Maybe it was the good sleep or maybe it was the fact that my friends would never leave me, no merger what I did. I felt a stab in my heart. I shoved the feeling inside, I had no good reason to suddenly lose my good mood.

"So what happened?" I asked my friends. Katara was the one who replied.

"Bumi said that he was going to hold you prisoner and let us go, we couldn't allow that so Aang did his three tests." I smiled and hugged them again.

"I was testing your companions Aang, to see how loyal they were," Bumi explained, "you've got good friends Aang, and you'll need them if you want to succeed in your quest." Momo chattered and flew to Bumi's shoulder.

"And don't forget Momo, he'll be very useful." I looked around. Where on earth had Momo come from anyway?

"Bumi," Aang said, catching everyone's attention, "I have a challenge for you." The young avatar grinned and whispered in his old friend's ear. Bumi beamed and nodded. I stared in shock as the two raced each other out of the door like they were both still kids.

I turned and shared an exasperated expression with Katara and Sokka. Aang was such a child but I was willing to let him have his childish moments, all to soon he would be expected to grow up. A guard walked in and noticing something missing asked, "where is the king?"

"Out using the mail delivery system as a super slide." The guard groaned from under his huge metal hat before turning and walking away, shaking his head muttering.

"I always knew there was a reason they called him mad king Bumi." I giggled, the title fit so well. It seemed like I was not the only one to find it funny either a few seconds later Sokka and Katara joined me in laughter.

* * *

Bumi saw us off with that giant smile of his and a money pouch to help us along our way. Aang and the crazy king said a heartfelt goodbye before we left. Just as we were walking out the door Bumi grabbed my shoulder.

"No one knows what the future holds," he stated firmly, a serious expression in his crazy eyes.

"And no one, even if they know, can predict it." I stared at Bumi for the longest time. Just how much about my situation did this crazy guy know? And how crazy was he really?

While we rode Appa away I tried to figure out what he meant. No one knows the future even if they know the future? What did he mean? What did he see that I didn't? I couldn't understand, I couldn't ever guess at what Bumi was aware of. All I new was that I had to make my choices and hope for the best. I couldn't stop trying to make a difference I couldn't sit idly by and just watch things happen. I needed to feel useful, like I was doing something good.


	9. It's All About Respect

Chapter 9

It's All About Respect

We were in desperate need of supplies. I stared at the remains of the food we had gotten from Omashu. We didn't even have enough food to give us a small lunch. Let along a dinner. None of us were particularly worried about lunch as that meal was usually very light. Dinner was another matter entirely.

"Well I'm going hunting." Sokka stated, standing up, his boomerang and club in hand. Aang shot up, eyes wide.

"You can't!"  
"Why can't I?" Sokka asked, "if I don't we'll starve until we find a town."

"Can't you find something else to eat?" Aang asked, sounding slightly hopeful, "fruits, berries… nuts?" I jumped and looked up from where I had been petting Momo. The lemur, disturbed by my sudden change of position, chattered and flew off, but not before throwing something at my head. It bounced off my head, catching my attention and into Aang's line of sight. He picked it up and showed it to Sokka, a big smile on his face.

"See? Nuts." I peered at the item and was surprised to recognize it as an acorn. Sokka scoffed at the discovery, this time bringing Katara's attention to them.

"Like you could make a meal from that."

"Actually you can make a meal out of it." Aang pointed out, "we just need a lot."

"By the time you pick enough for a meal, I bet I could have caught two sparrow-hares and cooked them to perfection." Sokka challenged. Aang didn't rise to the challenge.

"No. I won't let you."  
"Do you even know where you could find enough nuts to feed all of us?" Sokka snapped, his temper flaring. "Because I can with one animal. What is it with you and this vegetarian thing anyway? Not eating meat doesn't make sense."

"The monks told us that all life is sacred," Aang explained, there was a terse tone in his voice and a strain around his eyes, "you can't just slaughter something for just any reason."

Sokka stared at Aang, unable to speak at all. Finally he looked at Aang blankly before snapping.

"Fine, you pick your nuts. If you can come up with enough, I'll add it to our diet. Fair?"

"Yep." Aang chirped before walking up to the tree behind me and slamming it with a wave of air. At least five dozen good-sized nuts fell from the tree. As did Momo, his pouched cheeks stuffed full. I groaned. Great, nuts. On the plus side though, I realized, this meant that we were getting closer to the next familiar checkpoint for me. Episode five, imprisoned.

I could barely believe I had been in this world for two months and was only reaching episode five now. Then again, this world was real, so time moved at a normal rate. This journey had action but it was far less than how the series portrayed it to be. Then again, the series had sixty-one episodes and it at the least would span four maybe five months. I was beginning to realize that this journey took a lot longer than that. We had left the South Pole during its summer months when the sun was always in the sky. That happened during the rest of the world's fall and winter. About September to January from what I understood. While I had thought that Kyoshi island was in the middle of winter, I had been wrong. I had discovered a few weeks ago that the wheat harvest had just come in about a month before I arrived in this world. Since wheat is normally harvested in late August, early September that meant that the time of year must be around October or November. We had a lot of time to kill before the comet was going to come.

Of course this was mostly estimation and logic on my part. That, and the fact I enjoyed learning new things which is how I knew the basic times of the south pole's summer months and when wheat is usually harvested.

"Hey Pala, help me out here." Sokka called, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked up to see the elder water tribe sibling staring at a handful of nuts, the most baffled expression on his face.

"Help you with what?" I asked walking over. Sokka shoved his handful into my own hands.

"How do you eat these things?"

* * *

Dinner was a tense affair. Not only were the chestnuts extremely bitter, a trait that Aang said was common in this type of nut, but Sokka and Aang sat as far apart as they could from each other. This left Katara and I in a very uncomfortable position. Stuck as unwilling mediators. I was confused myself as to why Sokka was so upset and it wasn't just Sokka who was angry. Katara wasn't talking much to Aang either which actually left me as the true mediator.

I was woken that night by the sound of an animal in pain. Shooting upright I looked around. Aang and Katara were both asleep on either side of me but Sokka, who usually slept beside his sister, was gone. I slowly eased myself from between the younger two of our group and then out into the wilds. I had never really bothered to put an effort into tracking people down before so trying to find Sokka was pretty hard.

"Sokka?" I called, trying to find the elusive water tribe prince. I could hear his voice but the words were impossible to make out. I followed the sound until I came to a clearing. There was a cliff nearby, I saw Sokka sitting crouched next to a pile of fallen rocks. There was something brown next to him. The creature, a dear like creature with a set of impressive horns gave one last loud cry before its body relaxed.

"Sokka!" I yelped in surprise. He had just killed the animal. I didn't have an issue with that personally but Aang was going to be furious if he found out. To my surprise Sokka raised a single hand in a dismissive sign and began chanting.

I forgot the worry I had felt for Sokka and Aang's relationship as I was caught up in the strange tribal chant. I recognized the language as the language of the water tribes. I still knew little to none of the words but the tone was reverent. I caught Sokka's own name in his language but that was about it.

The chant ended, leaving Sokka still kneeling beside the carcass of the animal. Slowly I walked over to Sokka and peered over his shoulder. It was then I understood why he had taken the animal's life. The hind legs of the animal were crushed under several large boulders. There was nothing any of us could have done. The animal was ultimately going to die.

"Go ahead, say it."  
"Say what?" I asked Sokka. My attention was caught by a long curved knife made out of bone, intricate designs carved into its surface. Sokka was cleaning the weapon like he used it all the time but I had never seen him with it before. Still, the weapon was clearly water tribe in make, it couldn't have come from anywhere else.

"Tell me how we could have saved it or that I'm not treating all life as sacred."

"I'd never say that," I insisted, "Sokka, I know that there are times when animals can't be saved. And I've learned from the water tribe that if it comes down to it, the life of an animal or your tribe, the tribe wins every time. Besides, I like eating meat." Sokka paused and looked at me, then smiled.

"So what was with the chant?" I asked as Sokka began pushing the boulders away from the animal's hind legs.

"That was a prayer actually," Sokka corrected, "I was thanking the moose-deer's spirit for giving us its body to use so we could survive."

"Are we going to use its meat?" I asked, "I'm pretty sure Aang would protest."

"I'm not going to disrespect Aang," Sokka explained, "But it is a little unfair…" he grunted, pushing another boulder away, "that he expects us to follow his ideals."

"I can understand that," I admitted, "you guys are giving up so much to help him."

"I'm not upset about that." Sokka explained, leaning against the boulder he had just moved, "I'd give up more to help him and my sister, I just would like to see that he's willing to give back some." I walked over and leaned against the same boulder.

"It all comes down to respect doesn't it?" Sokka gave me a soft smile and nodded.

Sokka and I found a small trading post a few miles away, after we had finished saving what we could. The guy at the trading post was more than willing to accept the moose-deer's antlers, coat and the salvageable meat in return for a good amount of money. When we returned the amount was secretly added to the coin sack Bumi had given us.

As I lay in my sleeping bag, gazing up at the star filled sky, unable to sleep I allowed my mind to wander to my companions. Maybe it wasn't the adventure itself or the multiple bonding experiences that kept the Gaang together, but the fact that all of them were willing to give up everything and anything for the sake of a single member. That thought made me really stop and think. What did I have to offer, what did I have that I would be willing to give? It seemed to me that I had nothing to offer. How could someone who had nothing to give, give at all?

* * *

It was five days later that we found Haru. Sokka had been struggling to find nuts and I was starting to get frustrated with Aang. Sure he was still a kid but he couldn't honestly expect Sokka to know where nuts naturally grew when plants were seldom seen in the pole.

There was a huge reverberating sound and a shock wave ripped through our camp. I jumped, feeling panic well up within me. The first word that came into my head was earthquake. I took a deep breath, it wasn't an earthquake, it was Haru bending. It wasn't an earthquake, it was Haru bending.

"Are you alright Pala?" Katara asked, worry creasing her brow. I nodded, "yeah, I thought it was an earthquake." I saw my friends exchanged worried looks but I brushed it off, "well are you coming to check it out or not?"

We found Haru a few meters away from us, earthbending in a ditch. I watched in curiosity, earthbending was impressive but I didn't find it as impressive as fire, water or airbending. Haru looked just like he had in the series except more real. His hands and shoes were covered in dirt and he had a smear of the stuff across his forehead where he had probably wiped sweat away. I stopped and waited for the others to catch up. Katara didn't stop beside me as I had expected her to, instead she just kept walking.

"Excuse me." Haru spun around, dropped his boulder, took off down the ditch and then earthbended a huge portion to block our way in the span of a minute. I was left gaping at just how fast he moved, then again when people are desperate… I was pulled from my thoughts by Katara turning around.

"Why did he run away? I was just trying to be friendly."

"Hey, he had to be running somewhere," Aang chirped before I could answer, "probably a village."

"And a village means no more nuts for dinner!" The two took off, clambering over the small mound and to the other side.

"I worked hard for those nuts!" Sokka shouted, following after them. I shook my head and followed, barely paying attention to the feeling of Momo landing on my shoulder. I hurried up the hill standing on the top I looked out over the peninsula we were on. There was the little village sitting next to the water and far away in the distance, a smudge of black against the clear sky. The earthbender's prison.

"Pala what are you waiting for? Come on!"

"Coming." I called before running down to where my friends all stood waiting for me.

The village was miserable. That really was the best description. Fire nation soldiers patrolled the area, dressed finely with bears trimmed and armour piled to a sheen. The village itself didn't match. Animal droppings filled the streets, the houses were old, some actually falling apart, the people looked repressed and downtrodden. We picked our way through the streets, trying not to look around too much. Fitting in was impossible, even with me wearing the earth kingdom dress from Kyoshi.

Katara spotted Haru going into his mother's shop and pointed him out to the rest of us before chasing after him. I groaned and followed behind. Honestly, would it kill her to wait for us?

The shop inside was small, a few foodstuffs were scattered here and there but otherwise it was empty. Business must be awful. Then again based on the state of this town, everything was awful.

"Why did you run away?" Haru spun around, eyes wide.

"Haru?" His mom asked, leaning over the counter to look at these strange people who had just barged into her store.

"I don't know, these people are crazy. Just look at the way they're dressed." The comment was obviously for the airbender and water tribe siblings but I couldn't help but feel a little insulted by it.

"We saw you earthbending," Katara challenged, blue eyes just begging for Haru to challenge her.

"Haru! I've told you before you can't earthbend-"

"No one saw me!" Haru exclaimed, giving up his façade of ignorance. Haru's mother sent her son a stern green-eyed gaze, one that I knew as 'we'll be talking about this later.' It was a look my mother would often give me when I was in trouble.

"You can't tell Haru not to earthbend," Katara implored, "that would be like telling me not to waterbend, it is a part of who we are." I shook my head. How had we gone from demanding he explain himself to arguing against his mother in his sake? Then again, it was Katara doing all the speaking. Aang seemed supportive but couldn't work a word in edgewise and Sokka looked nearly traumatized.

"Katara," I called before this could go any further, "you've seen the fire nation forces here. Do you think they'd tolerate an ability that could smudge up their shiny clothes?" The sarcasm ran thick off my tongue. I knew it wasn't the time but I couldn't bring myself to care. Looking at the slum this town was and knowing it was the fault of those soldiers, parading around in shiny suits made my blood boil.

"What can they do that they haven't done already?" Katara asked, turning to me; it was Haru's mother that answered.

"They could take Haru away, just like they took his father." A knock on the door distracted us from the conversation. Sokka hurried over to the closed blinds and lifted a single panel.

"Fire nation, act natural."

Of course this meant that when the fire nation walked in everything was really awkward. Aang and Sokka were pretending to have a funny conversation but upon seeing the soldiers their funny words dried up. Katara was looking a hand of grapes she had grabbed from somewhere and was looking it over critically… in the middle of the room. I had grabbed Haru and assessing his age close to mine whispered an instruction in his ear then proceeded to pretend to be a stupid girl. I batted my eyelashes and twisted a bit of hair around my finger. Haru had been doing a really good job of pretending to flirt with me as the soldiers walked in but his words vanished upon seeing them approach his mother.

"Tax just got raised," the lead man sneered while I wondered why five soldiers were needed to deal with an old shopkeeper and her teenaged son. Haru's mother didn't move so the soldier moved forward, a flame appearing just above his palm.

"I'd listen if I were you, fire can be so… temperamental." At his last word the little flame grew before disappearing when the man closed his hand. That was a serious threat, especially since this entire village was practically made from tinder. Haru's mother quickly spun on her heels and grabbed the cash box from under her counter. She quickly showed it to the soldiers. They grabbed the coins before throwing three of the little bronze coloured ones on the carpet.

"Keep the copper." He smiled at me, his eyes roaming up and down. They flicked back to Katara only once but Katara was only fourteen and therefore not of much interest. She still had a way to go before she would become the beauty I knew she was. I on the other hand had all my womanly curves (even of they were few) and was pretty much legal age in this world.

I didn't have to fake the shiver that ran up my spine.

The solders left. I took a great big sigh the second the door was closed and turned to my friends. Haru's mother had finished putting the money away in the cash box.

"I'm sorry," Katara looked around then quickly returned the grapes to their spot, "I didn't know."

"I understand that," Haru's mother replied, "but the sooner you all leave, the better."

* * *

I was woken up the next day by Katara shouting that Haru had been arrested and it was all her fault. I felt awful but there was little I could do now, Haru was already gone.

"We need to save him," Katara told us firmly, "it's my fault he is there in the first place."

"Listen Katara, I know your upset and all but there is no way any of us can get into that prison."

"Yes, I can." Katara corrected, "because I'm going to get arrested for earthbending."

"You're crazy." Sokka deadpanned. Katara sent a pointed glare at her brother before turning to us.

"Listen, so I was thinking…"

_A/N: I'm sorry I have a lot to talk about here. Okay, first thing. The dagger Sokka had was a ceremonial dagger used only in important events or the taking of an animal's life and is never to see battle. It is something all male southern water tribe members carry with them and it is granted to then upon manhood. Since Sokka's father and all the adult men of the tribe weren't around when Sokka was fifteen he normally wouldn't have gotten it. However, Gran-gran still had her late husband's dagger and gave it to Sokka so he could have that knowledge that he was legally considered a man in their tribe._

_As for Sokka's snappy remark to Maddi he was upset about Aang saying that he wasn't treating the lives of animals as sacred. The ritual of the prayer (which is a thank you to all kills, with fish and most sea life as natural exceptions) is a sign of just how much the spirits of animals are revered in the water tribe. When Aang accused Sokka of taking life so easily it was like a slap in the face._

_Okay now one more thing. Imprisoned had to be split into two episodes because of the first part of this chapter (and I couldn't leave it, character development was to important). The next episodes. After this are The Spirit World part one and two. These chapters will be called Spirits and will be broken down into three chapters and trust me I'm going to need three chapters as this will be the keystone to the rest of my story. It will determine what happens to Maddi and where the story will go from there. Thank you and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	10. First Battle

Chapter 10 First Battle

I accepted the cup of tea with a small smile. Haru's mother took her own cup and sat across from me. The atmosphere was tense but not because of the relationship between us, or lack of one, but because we both had our minds fixed upon someone we cared for. Katara was with Haru in that metal abomination that I was tempted to drag Toph to the second I could. Fifteen minutes after Katara was taken away I had given up Sokka and Aang as lost causes and went to Haru's mother.

"So what did your young friend do to convince the soldiers that she was an earthbender?" I looked up from the tea into the withered face of the woman across from me.

"We pretended to get into an argument about which one of us deserved Sokka's attention more. Then Aang used the ventilation shafts in the mine to lift a rock and make it look like earthbending." I took a sip of the warm liquid and allowed myself to relax.

"That was quite ingenious, who made the plan?"

"Katara came up with the false bending idea, I wrote the script. Otherwise they would have gotten into an argument that would peak with insults about Sokka's ear size."

"Oh dear." I laughed at the look on her face. She smiled warmly before taking another drink, her eyes suddenly dark.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, "I promise we won't let anything happen to Haru."

"I'm not worried that Haru will be hurt…" she trailed off, suddenly refusing to meet my eyes.

"Then what's bothering you?"

"I'm worried that Haru will be there… and won't find his father." I frowned, why would Haru's mother fear something like that. If he was dead wouldn't she know? I took a thoughtful sip of tea before voicing my previous question aloud.

"Wouldn't they bring the body to your village for burial?"

"No. When someone dies on that thrice accursed place their bodies are thrown overboard and left to the mercy of the tides. We only know all that because two bodies were washed on shore five years ago. We still have others come in all the time but no one knows how high the death count really is. Many of us say prayers to the spirits, the same ones that we would repeat at funerals when someone is caught earthbending." I stared at Haru's mother, tea forgotten. I had known thing were bad here but I had no idea of how bad. The knowledge that the warden threw anyone who pissed him off overboard had been bad. I had never connected the action with the death that ultimately would follow. All the soldiers were dressed in thick, heavy armour. They wouldn't have had a chance. Now I learned t hat the people back home would never know if their loved ones were still alive… it reminded me of my situation. Perhaps, in a way, my family and I were living like that. I was on the boat, lost in worry and confusion never knowing what had happened to them after I had left. They were here, on the other side hoping, praying that I was alive but slowly, losing hope.

"I'm sorry, burdening you with my troubles while you have a friend on that abomination. I shouldn't have said that, I've kept it from Haru, and you two are of a similar age." I shrugged, trying to push away the sudden feeling of dread that had made a home at the bottom of my stomach. I knew full well that this world was real but had somehow forgotten what it meant to be caught in a middle of a war. An image of Suki laying barely conscious on Kyoshi island flashed through my mind.

"I guess…" I added suddenly, "that we all have our own demons to face and sharing them with others can ease the burden for a while." Haru's mother sent me a piercing glance before asking shrewdly.

"And what are the demons that you yourself face?" I sighed and looked away , finishing off the cup of tea too quickly for my taste.

"I… I'm not ready to share them yet." I admitted quietly. Haru's mother smiled and patted one of my hands.

"Give yourself time, and when your ready tell your friends. They're good kids, they'll listen to you." I smiled softly unwilling to admit that was part of my fear. That they would listen and truly see the sort of person they called their friend. A lair, a coward a confused and scared little girl in a woman's clothes. Or worse yet not see that and begin to use me as a guide on how to live their lives. I wanted my friends to listen to me but not because they would fear the choices they would make otherwise.

That night I sat on Appa's back with Sokka, both of us tense. Aang sat on Appa's head, face unusually serious.

The metal bars were spaced far enough apart that anyone would be able walk through. They merely served as a reminder that beyond was a body of water that no one but a healthy well trained athlete, a waterbender or a large flying animal could cross. Katara stepped outside and joined us on the four foot wide metal edging.

"Where's Haru?" Sokka asked, looking around as if the teenaged earthbender would be around somewhere.

"He doesn't know yet," Katara replied, "and I'm not bringing him."

"What happened?" I approached the water tribe girl feeling worried.

"I'm not leaving anyone behind." Katara replied. I had seen Katara get passionate before but I had never seen her this determined.

After a small argument, one that elicited a look of betrayal from Sokka when I sided with his sister, we sent Appa off and hid behind a large pile of crates.

"We don't have a lot of time," Sokka pointed out. I nodded. Hunkered down like this behind the crates was causing my back to hurt, and from the grey colour of the sky dawn would be approaching soon.

"I wish I could make a hurricane or a storm of any kind," Aang muttered, "the warden would run off and leave the keys."

"And go where? He's on a metal rig. He'd just hide and wait out the storm while we soaked his guards and the prisoners."

"What we need is some sort of earth that we can get up here for them to bend anything really." Sokka murmured turning to look at us.

"But this whole place is made out of metal." Katara pointed out, running her hand over the freezing surface of the metal rig. I shivered, suddenly reminded just how cold it was when not surrounded by the sheer wave of heat that came off Appa.

"No it's not." I looked up to see Aang pointing at the huge column of smoke coming from the centre of the rig.

"They're probably burning coal, in other words… earth."

"That's great and all, but how are we going to get the coal up here?" Sokka snapped. I could feel the frustration radiating off him in waves

"Well what are they using the coal for?" I asked. Sokka and Aang fell silent. Katara perked up.

"Forging. This rig revolves around metal work. But they only use old metal and recycle it, they can't have any raw materials within easy access." I nodded.

"That makes sense." We fell silent.

"I'll go." Aang said, standing and looking down at us. I blinked, go where? What on earth was Aang talking about? This wasn't making much sense.

"Go where?"

* * *

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling exposed standing out in the courtyard. In a little less than five minutes the prisoners would be coming out, accompanied by guards. Aang was deep in the bowels of the rig, shutting off all the vents to the coal except one, the one that opened up to where we stood now. I was clutching my fans tightly, knuckles white. My heart was pounding. There was a battle coming and I felt worry bubble up from deep within. In the portrayal of Kyoshi island no one had been injured. In the real story several Kyoshi warriors had minor to mediate injuries and Suki was almost critical. Here in this story I knew that the villains died, being dumped overboard in heavy armour and not knowing how to swim made that obvious. That didn't give me any answers about what was going to happen to the 'good guys'.

"There are the intruders!" I jumped and spun around, my back pressed against Sokka's. My eyes widened when I saw how many firebenders there were. In the TV series it was a dozen firebenders in total, leaving them vastly outnumbered. Here there had to be nearly a hundred leaving them outnumbered only two to one. Two to one with elderly people and children being the firebenders main opponents.

"Give it up little girl." the warden mocked, his eyes focused in Katara. His eyes reminded me of how a starved wolf would look like, ravenous and desperate. It was impossible not to understand what this man was feeling for a beautiful and exotic girl. The very thought made me shiver and want to step in front of Katara, to protect her from this man's gaze.

"He's right Katara you can't win this." A man with a long white beard and green eyes called from the crowd. That must have been Haru's father. I knew his name was mentioned in the series but for the life of me I couldn't remember.

I felt the rumble before I heard it. The vibrations shook the ship and I felt my heart leap into my throat. Coal exploded out of the vent, showering everyone standing nearby in black dust. There was a lot more then I had expected, even standing several feet away from the grate the coal covered my ankles. Aang appeared last, coughing and covered in black soot. With a gust of air the dust was gone leaving Aang's bright coloured outfit to catch everyone's attention. Katara didn't let it stay that way for long. She ran up to the highest point of the mound, grabbing a thick chunk of coal on her way and shouted.

"Earthbenders! Now is your chance to take control and free yourselves! It's up to you!" Whatever she had expected, silence and avoidance hadn't been it. I felt both embarrassed and proud of Katara, one for her courage and the other for how corny the speech was.

"Give it up girl, these people were broken long ago. They will never be what you want them to be… oh, but you still believe in them." He paused then smiled at Katara, before leaning over the shoulder of a soldier and whispering in his ear before turning back.

"Take them away." I raised my fans and slid to stand closer to Katara. Aang spun and gripped his staff. Sokka raised his club.

A piece of coal bounced off the warden's forehead. I turned slightly to see Haru spinning a handful of coal in his hands through earthbending. The firebenders attacked. I quickly lost track of everything happening as I locked eyes on a firebender advancing towards means chose him as my target. If this was a real battle then Kyoshi island barely qualified as a skirmish. I dodged a bolt of fire that was sent towards my head and attacking, flipped the firebender into his back. As things escalated I focused solely on dodging, attacking, and surviving. I heard a cry and one of the earthbender's fell at my feet.

"Don't just lie there," I called, rushing forward, "get…" my words died as I took in the scene before me. The earthbender's skin was unnaturally pale, the eyes were glassy and unfocused and his neck… was clearly broken. I felt bile rise in my throat as I stumbled back. Looking around I noticed at least a dozen people laying on the ground, earthbenders and firebenders alike. A jet of fire streaked past my ear. I cried out and suddenly survival was much more important.

Time seemed to pass both slowly and quickly, taking eons and seconds at the same time. I had no idea how long I had fought for what I now realized was my life when Haru's father shouted. I finished the soldier off by knocking him aside and giving him a good dirty kick where it hurt before taking off. I stopped beside Aang, Katara, Sokka and Haru who were helping the last earthbenders take down the remaining firebenders. Haru's father moved all the remaining coal underneath the uninjured soldier and warden before moving it over the water and dumping them in. We turned and fled.

* * *

If I hadn't been feeling so ill I probably would have been disgruntled at how it was only Aang and I puking our guts up over the side of the ship. While Katara and Sokka were pale and shaky, Haru and the other earthbenders merely were counting the dead and tending to the injured like this was nothing new.

"Tyro!" I heard Katara exclaim over the sounds of Anng and I… well you know.

"Hello Katara," Haru's father answered, "how are they doing." I surfaced for a moment, clutching the sides of the metal boat tightly.  
"Fine," I groaned hoarsely, my voice cracked and raw. I brushed a strand of hair aside.

"Here, this should help." Tyro held out two cups I took one quickly and swished my mouth out with the water, spat, then drank the rest in a few gulps. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Aang was doing the same.

"I'm sorry that it took a group of children to make us realize that we had the power and ability to free ourselves. And I'm sorry that you had to experience all that, as necessary as it was."

"Was it necessary?" Aang challenged shooting a glare at Tyro, "Those people had families too, they didn't deserve to die."

"Neither did the six hundred earthbenders who were murdered for looking at the warden in the wrong way or denying his _advances_." Aang and I both fell silent under Tyro's heavy gaze. Six hundred killed for pissing off the warden. How many had died from starvation, cold or sickness? I didn't want to know.

"As for the firebenders, the warden killed at least three of his own a week. In the long run we saved hundreds of lives on both sides." Tyro stated firmly before softening and gesturing Sokka, Katara and Haru to join the avatar and I.

"I know this is hard and I know that it seems like you will never move on. In a way... you won't. The first man you kill will always dance behind your eyes, taunting you, making you wonder if there was any other way... It is the same for me. Every man I have killed will never let me forget him, no matter how necessary it was to kill him. Even though he is my enemy, even though he wouldn't hesitate to kill me, I'll never forget." Tyro turned to look at us firmly.

"You're right Aang, those men did have families and people who cared for them but in the end it comes down to you or him, your own life needs to come first." I looked out onto the ocean and began to hum softly, a song from back on earth that I had heard so often now playing in the back of my mind. Quietly I added the words to the tune, thinking of how well this song described the situation I was in, the war I was in.

Now if you load your rifle right  
And if you fix your bayonet so  
And if you kill that man, my friend  
The one they call the foe

And if you do it often lad  
And if you do it right  
You'll be a hero overnight  
You'll save your country from her plight

Katara's voice caught my attention, she was talking to Haru a small smile on her face. Then she froze as her hand grasped at her neck, eyes wide.

"My mother's necklace!" She cried, panic in her voice. I groaned, I knew I had forgotten to do something.

Remember God is always right  
If you survive to see the sight  
A friend now greeting foe

* * *

_A/N: The song is __Roger Whittaker's 'I Don't Believe in If Anymore'. I do not own the song or Avatar the Last Airbender. _


	11. Spirits Part 1: Black and White

Chapter 11  
Spirits Part 1: Black and White

I woke up to a panicked scream. Looking about in alarm I clutched my chest, taking deep breaths. All of us had been having a rough time the last four days, each for our own reasons. Losing her mom's necklace had given Katara nightmares about 'that day' that always ended with her screaming for her mom. Aang and I were both bothered by the amount of death that had occurred on the rig and often had minor nightmares that luckily didn't disturb anyone but ourselves.

Sokka seemed the least disturbed, he slept peacefully every night unless disturbed by one of us. He had been quiet the first day of the trip but besides that he had acted like himself. Whenever the rest of us started to feel down he would crack a corny joke and ease the tension. I couldn't stop myself from worrying, if I had reacted this badly to seeing death… what was I going to do if I needed to end someone's life?

I shook myself out of my thoughts as I looked around, trying to see who had screamed this time. No one seemed disturbed, and there was no sign of tossing. I sighed. I must have screamed and woken myself up, probably forgetting the dream as I came to. A familiar chatter caused me to turn. Momo was laying on the bottom of my sleeping bag, looking fairly disgruntled. Chuckling I picked the lemur up and pulled him into the crook of my arm. Sometimes the best way to ease a nightmare was with a pet. As I snuggled in with Momo's soft ears tickling my chin I thought back to my family. Many times I had snuggled with the family dog when I was upset, she had always known the right way to treat us. If we were sick or upset she would cuddle with us, as long as we weren't occupied with something else. That was the only downside of Peaches, the sable collie had jealousy issues. That and she would welcome in a burglar, show him or her our valuables and ask for a treat at the end for a good job. At least that was a family joke, the point being that our dog was a little to friendly to make a guard dog. She was all bark and no bite. I smiled softly as I stroked Momo's head, eliciting something like a purr from the little guy. Of course, thinking of Peach made me think of the other members of my family. My sister, my mom and dad. I allowed myself a small smile, remembering the good times. It no longer hurt so bad to think of them. My heart still ached but I could now think of them. I was moving on, slowly but it was progress.

"The chances of me going home…" I trailed off, looking at Momo's large green eyes.

"What am I doing talking to a lemur?" I questioned. Momo chittered and snuggled in. I sighed and closed my eyes, allowing myself to drift off into dreamland.

* * *

I occupied myself during the flight by fiddling with my necklace. It wasn't anything big, but it allowed me to take my mind off the nightmares and gave me a chance to appreciate the detail that had been put into the jewelry. Sokka was sharpening his boomerang, Aang was 'steering' Appa and Katara was staring idly out into space.

I traced the designs of each element thoughtfully, earth, water, air, fire. Each element had its place and each was an important part of the world. Earth, the ground beneath out feet. Water, without it all life would perish. Air, just as essential as water. Fire, the sun of which all energy came from. Another thought occurred to me as I looked at my necklace. There had been studies about what the human body was made of. Everyone knew a large portion of the human body was made of water. What a lot of people didn't know was that many of the same elements found in the ground could be found in human flesh. Electricity was what gave us the ability to move our muscles and think. Without air not only would we be unable to breath but we would also be unable to obtain energy from food since oxygen is a vital part of the way our bodies break food down. Earth, water, fire, air. Maybe they really were the four great elements. Everything we knew of was made of something related to at least one of those elements.

"The clouds look so soft, don't they? Like you could jump down and land in one big cottony heap." I looked up to see Katara leaning over Appa's side, staring at the fluffy white objects in question as they floated below us.

"I wouldn't do that," I said, tucking the medallion under my water tribe tunic, "they're not as solid as they look." Actually the clouds did look fairly solid today, almost as though you could jump down. I smiled dreamily as I remembered my sister and I playing the 'what if' game. One of us would propose something fantastic and the other would try to think of what the world would be like f that was true. One of my sister's favourites was 'what if the world was made of candy?' We could go for hours thinking about what each object would be turned to candy. We always agreed the clouds were made out of cotton candy.

"I'll try anyway!" Aang called, eyes bright. I watched as Aang grabbed his staff then jumped off Appa. For most people, that would be the end but for an airbender, especially a hyperactive one like Aang, it was an everyday occurrence. A few seconds later Aang resurfaced, soaking wet.

"Turns out, clouds are made from water." He beamed. I felt my lips tugging at the corners before breaking into a smile. Aang's cheeriness and Sokka's humour had started to have that effect on me, no matter how bad the joke I would laugh, even if I didn't find it funny. It made a difference in the overall feeling of the group. Aang puffed out his cheeks and slammed a fist into his other hand. A huge wave of air pushed past us, pelting us with small water droplets. We were silent for a moment before breaking into laughter. It felt so good to laugh, to be happy in the company of friends.

"Let's land and have lunch," Katara suggested, glancing up at the sky, gushing the time by the heat and position of the sun. It was quickly agreed. Aang took Appa's reigns and we moved down through the clouds.

"What is that?" I leaned over Appa's side in response to Katara's shocked question. I wasn't the only one either. Sokka stared blankly at the scene below us.

"It looks like a scar." It was a good description. A mass of blackened earth stretched out in the middle of the forest moving diagonally for miles. It was a blight on the landscape.

Appa landed in a puff of ash. Coughing, I quickly slid off him. My companions quickly joined me on the ground, looking around in bewilderment. Sokka went of on his own while Aang wandered over to one of the few logs that wasn't burned all the way through and sat down. I didn't move, surveying the area and trying to form an opinion on this. True, seeing a beautiful forest marred by this scar was unsettling, but fire was a part of nature. Besides, in some ways fire helped the forest. It would return nutrients to the soil and allow the forest to flourish.

"The Fire nation did this." Of course, my friends didn't see it that way.

"How do you know that Sokka?" I asked, "anyone could have started the fire. It might even have been an accident." In reply Sokka held up a gauntlet. The leather was scorched but the metal work was fine and exquisitely crafted. Fire nation make. I sighed but didn't argue. The show hadn't even given us that to suggest who caused the fire. I stopped. I had not compared what I was going through to the show in quite a while, it felt strange to start again now. Actually now that I thought about it, this was the start of 'The Spirit World, part 1'. That meant that we would be coming across Hei-bei soon. The giant panda spirit had intrigued me in the show, but now that I was facing the possibility of actually meeting the forest spirit I was feeling leery. This would be Aang first encounter with a spirit, his first time going into the spirit world and the beginning of our time limit. We would have until summer before the world as we knew it was lost. This was the keystone of the entire first season, maybe even the entire series and I wasn't sure I was ready for it.

I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated. The world had changed a bit due to my actions and now I was beginning to wonder what would happen. How much of an impact would my small changes have by the end? Could I even make a difference at all? I shook my head and turned to look at Katara and Aang who were quietly conversing. I noticed Katara hand Aang something and a smile crept onto my face. The acorns would play an important role in the next two days.

"Hey who are you?" I spun at Sokka's question and found myself facing an elderly man. Wrinkles covered his face and his beard was long, falling midway down his torso. I couldn't tell what his clothes were as they were hidden under a thick woollen cape. The man completely ignored Sokka instead walking right past us to Aang.

"When I saw the bison flying I wondered, but now that I see those markings..." he murmured before raising his voice, "are you the Avatar child?"

"That's me," Aang replied, sending a nervous glace at Katara for reassurance.

"Then I need your help, my village is in terrible danger." All three of us looked at each other.

"How about you tell us what happened on the way there." I suggested. The old man nodded absently before gesturing back towards where he had come from.

"My village isn't to far that way, follow me." We were silent for a moment as we followed the old man into the forest. Then he broke the silence.

"My name is Bo, and for the last five days our small village has been besieged by a spirit named Hei-Bei. The black and white spirit." He paused and leaned heavily on his wooden staff as he looked at us, a tired expression on his face.

"We have done everything we can think of to appease the spirit, but nothing has worked."

"Do you know why Hei-Bei is so angry?" I found myself asking, "After all, if you know why the spirit is upset then how to appease it should be easier." Bo shook his head before continuing on slowly.

"No, one day everything was peaceful, the next Hei-Bei was attacking." I frowned.

"Nothing significant happened before the attacks? Nothing?" That didn't make sense, Bo should have noticed the burning of the forest. At least the smoke and the ruined forest. He hadn't commented on it.

"What are you saying Pala?" Katara asked, looking at me curiously. I sighed before explaining.

"Spirits don't do something for no reason, they can't be that different from us. Just like us they need a reason to do something. Something had to happen that was big enough for the spirit to get mad enough to attack your village." I said the last part while turning to Bo, catching his eye.

"Like the fire," Sokka suggested thoughtfully, "maybe that's bothering the spirit?" I blinked and turned to look at Sokka. I hadn't meant for them to figure out what was bothering Hei-Bei so fast. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. What had I just done?

"The fire?" Bo asked with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I suppose that's possible, but why attack us and not those who caused it?" I frowned, that was a good question actually, and it was a question that I didn't have an answer for.

"Don't worry." Aang stated, bringing himself into the conversation, "I'll find out."

* * *

"Aang you've never done something like this before," Katara stated, worry in her blue eyes, "how are you going to do this?" Aang shrugged, slightly unsure.

"I'm going to have to figure it out while I'm there," he admitted, gripping his staff firmly, "it can't be to hard now that we know why Hei-Bei's upset." I bit my lip, how badly I wanted to just tell him everything. If I did that though I would lose the advantage I had and the entire story would change forever, possibility for the worse.

"The sun is setting," Bo said, coming toward us with the head of the village, "you need to go now." Aang nodded and walked outside. I didn't move from where I stood by the only window that was open, watching the twelve-year-old savour of the world stand alone. Aang didn't move at all, he didn't swirl his staff or call out to Hei-Bei, he just waited. I shifted uncomfortably, waiting for the spirit to come.

It happened suddenly. One moment Aang was standing alone in the centre of the village, the next a giant black and white creature with six limbs stood towering above him. Given the angle I was watching from I was able to appreciate just how huge Hei-Bei was. The spirit had to be twenty feet tall.

"You must be Hei-Bei." Aang shouted. Hei-Bei didn't move, it just stared at Aang as though wondering why this tiny little human was stupid enough to talk to it.

"I'm Aang, the Avatar... umm, the great bridge guy?" I groaned, that moment was fully deserving of a face palm. I didn't take my eyes off Aang though, I didn't want to miss anything. It appeared Hei-Bei was feeling the same thing because it tried to start its rampage. Aang wasn't going to let that happen.

"Wait! Listen, I know you're mad the forest was burned down so was I when I first saw it. Then a friend of mine, showed me these," Aang lifted something small in his hand and showed it to Hei-Bei. The huge spirit looked down at the tiny acorn and snorted.

"Each one of these will grow into a tall tree and the forest will be whole again." Hei-Bei was still. Neither it nor Aang moved. The two stared at each other, then, Aang's tattoo's flashed. I gasped as Hei-Bei turned into a giant panda and Aang, still glowing, climbed on the animal's back.

"Aang!" I shouted, alarmed. What was going on? What was happening? My call came to late as Hei-Bei and Aang both, vanished into the spirit world.

Katara, Sokka and I charged out into the village shouting Aang's name. This was my fault, I had given to much away and now Aang was gone. I slowed down, stopping before the exit to the village. Aang had returned in the episode, just later. I suddenly found myself smiling as I realized I knew where Aang's body would be. I charged out of the village and back the way we had come. If I followed the scar, I would find the bear statue and that was where I would find Aang.

It was late and I was exhausted by the time I had found the bears. Several of the carved animals surrounded the one that stood up tall, each in a slightly different position. I looked up at the top of the bear that was standing. There was Aang, meditating in the avatar state, completely unaware of how much worry he had caused us. I sighed and sat down on the back of one of the bears, giving myself some time to breathe. After I had allowed my racing heart to slow down to a normal speed I stood and walked back to the village. The second I entered the forest I began to mark the trees on my way back, using them so I would be able to find my way back to Aang if I needed to.

By the time I found myself back at the village gates it was in the wee hours of the morning. Exhausted, I stumbled towards the first thing I saw. Appa was laying, curled up by one of the ruined houses, fast asleep. I clambered up the bison's leg and nestled myself in the crook, snuggling into the warm fur.

When I woke up, the sun was in the sky and a very angry-looking Sokka was glaring at me, hands on hips. Moaning I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up.

"Where were you?" I blinked at Sokka before sighing and standing up. Appa rumbled but I ignored him.

"Sorry, I was looking for Aang, just like you guys."

"We came back at midnight and you weren't here." Sokka replied, seeming to relax slightly.

"I found Aang." Sokka jerked and looked at me in shock before grabbing my hand and dragging me back to the big house where most people had been spending the night during Hei-Bei's attacks.

"Pala!" I gasped as all the air was knocked out of me by Katara's hug.

"We were so worried, where were you?" She stepped away, sending me a harsh glare.

"Pala said she found Aang," Sokka explained before turning back to me, "where was he? Is he okay? Why isn't he here if you found him?" I grimaced and ran my hand over my head, tugging at the braided strands.

"Aang is in the avatar state, he isn't exactly capable of going anywhere. Besides, he was sitting on top of a statue and I couldn't reach the top." I explained. I didn't mention the dangers of moving a body in the avatar state, how Aang might not be able to find his body. That would cause a lot of problems in itself. Katara and Sokka both looked troubled by the news but at the same time, relieved that we knew where Aang was and that he was safe.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," I suggested, "Aang is going to be okay." Katara nodded, not looking entirely convinced while Sokka beamed at the mention of food and the sudden realization that this meant that he could eat some meat. Sokka was gone in a flash. Katara shook her head and we shared an exasperated look, still Sokka's antics cheered us up and we headed off to join the rest of the village with breakfast.

* * *

Aang didn't return until midday. The young avatar walked into the village, determined and a little grouchy. Katara spotted him first and upon seeing him shouted his name and tore down the middle of the village to hug him. I chuckled and followed quickly behind with Sokka taking up the rear. After all of us embraced Aang looked at us firmly and stated.

"I need to talk to the headman." I frowned but nodded and lead Aang along with the water tribe siblings to where the headman was talking to some of the villagers, trying to calm them down. All to many had panicked when Hei-Bei had vanished with the avatar, despite the fact that less than two minutes after I had left those who had been kidnapped by the spirit returned.

"Headman, I need to speak with you." Aang called, catching everyone's attention. The headman looked surprised and nodded, walking over to greet Aang.

"It is good to see you have returned Avatar, we feared-"

"I know why Hei-Bei was so upset." Anyone who hadn't been paying attention before was listening now.

"Hei-Bei was becoming frustrated that no one was coming to care for his shrine anymore, and that no one was thanking him for the bounty of the forest. Hei-Bei is the spirit of the forest and therefore all that lives within it belongs to him." Aang explained, his voice ringing true and clear. In that moment, I no longer saw a young boy who liked to goof off, I got a glimpse of the avatar Aang would be when he grew up. Powerful and self-assured.

"The fire was only the straw that broke the camel-ox's back," Aang explained, "what really angered him was that no one returned to fix his shrine, which had been burned as well. A spirit's shrine is a sacred place and it is where they feel most connected to our world." I heard some people muttering among themselves. The village seemed bothered that it was because of their lack of dedication to maintaining the spirit's shrine that had gotten them attacked.

"I see," the headman spoke, his voice was softer than Aang's and he looked like a chastised child, "I will make sure that Hei-Bei's shrine is properly cared for." There was silence for a moment before Aang smiled.

"Hei-Bei would like that."

"Is there anyway to repay you for what you've done?" The headman asked. I was slightly surprised by the question, he didn't seem upset that the reason they were attacked was because they hadn't kept a sacred place nice and clean. Then again, back in my world we never had to deal with stuff like that, perhaps this wasn't uncommon.

"We need supplies, food, money, stuff like that." Sokka suggested, wincing when Katara elbowed him in the side. The headman nodded.

"It would be an honour." He stated before walking off to see what he could do.

"I'm proud of you Aang," Katara said, turning to Aang and ignoring Sokka rubbing his tender side, "you figured out how to help these people and Hei-Bei both without any help."

"Actually, I did have some help," Aang admitted, "and there's something I have got to do. I need to talk to Avatar Roku's spirit"

"How?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to get to a temple on an island, shaped like a crescent moon before the winter solstice."

"But the solstice is tomorrow." Katara said in surprise.

"Yeah... and the island? It's in the Fire-nation."

* * *

_A/N: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed to this story so far, I cannot tell you how much it means to me. Now, there have been several people asking me to keep writing this story. I tell you now I have no intention of dropping Change the World anytime soon. Also I am planning on updating every week. My goal will be Saturday once a week, however I may occasionally update on Sunday or Friday, depending on how the story is going and what is happening in my life because, I hate to say it, real life comes before the internet. Thank you once again for reading this story. Please let me know how I'm doing, what I need to do to improve, etc. I hope you will keep reading my story and that it will be something that you look forward to every week. _

_Princess Kassie Out._


	12. Spirits part 2 Five Spirits Four Nations

Chapter 12  
Spirits Part 2: Five Spirits, Four Nations

_A/N: A quick reminder to my readers since this doesn't happen often. If a POV changes it will look like this: __Aang.__ In other words it will be the name of the person who the POV is changing to, underlined and italicized. Thank you for bearing with me. _

* * *

The atmosphere was so tense that it acted like a wall between us. Not one of us was looking forward to flying into enemy territory. Aang was pushing Appa hard, racing time itself. Currently it looked like Appa was winning. My fans were tucked into a belt on my waist for when I needed to use them. Katara had filled her water-skin to the brim and Sokka had his club and boomerang ready. We were ready to fight for our lives if we had to.

"Great, we have company." I turned at Katara's call and looked behind us. A familiar metal ship, bearing a red flag and chugging determined in our wake.

"It's Zuko." I looked at Sokka, deadpan. Seriously, we all knew it was Zuko, he didn't need to announce it.

"No kidding." Sokka sent me a glare at my words, as if silently accusing me for the sarcasm.

"Guys, we have another problem." Aang called from the front. Spinning I turned. Ship after ship patrolled the waters in front of us, forming a clear line between earth kingdom and fire nation waters.

"A blockade." I felt a twitch of annoyance. Did Sokka really feel it necessary to tell us what everything was, honestly we all knew already.

"If we go north we can avoid it." Aang shouted.

"It'll take too much time." Katara shouted back from where she was watching Zuko's ship.

"This is why I didn't want you to come, it's to dangerous." Aang shouted over the wind.

"That's why we came." Katara called back. I moved over to her. Something caught the corner of my eye turning I froze.

"Fireball at five o'clock!" I shouted as Zuko's catapult went off. Appa moved to the side just in time. The ball of fire flew by, missing us but leaving a foul stench behind.

"Let's get out of here quickly before Zuko shoots another hot stinker at us." If we weren't flying for our lives that line would be funny. I slid forward and clutched he saddle tightly peered over the edge to look at the blockade in front of us.

"Oh we are so gonna die." I whispered. All the ships in the blockade had catapults and I would bet the shirt on my back that they were planning on using them too. My assumptions were proved correct when a volley of fireballs flew toward us. I screamed and dropped as giant balls of flaming death shot toward us.

The next few minutes passed in a blur and I could do nothing but sit and pray that we wouldn't be killed. The only time I found myself to be of any use was when Sokka nearly flew out of the saddle and Katara and I dragged him back in.

I lay on the saddle, gasping for breath. Katara and Sokka beside me were shaking from fear and adrenaline.

"We're past the blockade." Aang called as he came back to look at us worriedly.

"The crescent island isn't to far now." He reassured us as we slowly sat back up. I took one look at Aang's pale face and pulled him into a hug. After a moment we pulled away. Aang went back to the front, this time with Katara at his side. Sokka and I stayed in the saddle.

"That was more fun than I ever want again." I stated, shivering. Sokka nodded mutely, his grip on his boomerang tightening.

"There it is!" I looked up. An island loomed in the distance, black as pitch against the blue of the sky. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying for the safety of my friends.

* * *

Grim silence greeted us on the volcanic island. Appa rumbled as he set down, legs nearly giving out from under him. We slid off quickly, the stress and fear from before the blockade coming between us again.

"Poor boy, you must be so tired." Katara stated softly, petting Appa lightly.

"Nope! All ready to fight some firebenders!" Sokka called, warming up with some absolutely ridiculous stretches.

"I was talking to Appa." Katara pointed out.

"Well... I was talking to Momo." Sokka pointed out. I chuckled and the tension eased. I wondered if Sokka had actually tried to ease the atmosphere or if it was accidental.

"Come on, we need to get moving." Aang reminded us. We nodded and began our trek up to the temple. As we walked I wondered about the wisdom of building a temple on an active volcano.

My legs began to ache as we walked up the steep hillside. After riding Appa for the majority of our trip I had lost some of my muscle. I made a mental note to myself that I needed to start working out every morning and evening so I could keep in shape.

The sheer heat the island was giving off was incredible. Curiously I found myself wondering if all the islands of the fire nation were of volcanic origin.

We entered the temple silently, looking around at the red and gold decorations in awe. The amount of wealth in this temple alone had to double that of King Bumi. We weren't able to take in the sights for long as we quickly realized that we weren't the only ones here. In front of us stood five men, all dressed in red and burgundy with tall headpieces. The eldest, a wrinkled man with jowls like a bull-dog and a white beard that clung to his chin like a flea-bitten animal stepped forward.

"We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar." His voice rasped, causing me to wince. This guy needed a good retirement and soon.

"Great! I'm the avatar!" Aang chirped. He stepped forward, beaming from ear to ear.

"We know." Five jets of fire shot at us. I yelped and stepped back, raising my arms to shield myself. I didn't need to worry, Aang blew the fire away with a strong gust of wind.

"This way!" I charged after Aang and the water tribe siblings into a side corridor. I heard shouts behind us, but my adrenaline was back and the sudden rush of energy made me forget everything else.

"Aang! Do you know where you're going?" Katara shouted beside me.

"Nope!" Aang shouted back turning a corner before spinning around and shouting "Not this way!" I spun around, following my friends as we ran in another direction. A few seconds later we came to a dead-end. Sokka and I stopped side by side, each of us pulling out our respective weapons. One of the fire sages, the youngest by far based on his appearance, stopped in front of us, hands raised in submission. It took a moment to place him but I recognized him quickly enough as the fire sage who had helped the Gaang. I grimaced as I realized I couldn't remember his name.

"I don't mean you any harm." He insisted.

"Tell that to someone who believes it." Sokka snarled, club raised. There were a couple of shouts behind us and the fire sage moved forward. I stepped backward subconsciously then silently berated myself. I knew this man really meant no harm but my instincts weren't as aware.

The man ignored us and pressed his hand again the wall before sending a shot of fire into it. Fire blazed and a door opened.

"Hurry, this way." We didn't question him this time, instead charging in as quickly as we could manage. The man slipped in, seconds before the door shut. We were silent for a while before the man spoke.

"My name is Shyu." He adjusted his headpiece which had been knocked at an angle.

"Why did you help us?" Sokka asked, blunt and straight to the point.

"Walk with me. You wish to met with Avatar Roku?" Aang nodded and fell into step beside Shyu. Sokka, Katara and I followed behind, listening as Shyu explained not only why the fire sages had attacked but how the sages were under the fire lord's payment. I tuned out the conversation not because I had memorized the words but because I was distracted by the lava flowing freely a few feet away from me and the oppressing amount of heat. Sokka and Katara were doing even worse than I, heavy parkas aren't very comfortable in stifling heat.

We finally walked up a set of obsidian stairs to the exit of the passage. Slipping through we found ourselves on the top story of the temple. In front of us, between two beautiful columns was a door, guarded by five mechanical snake heads, each with large glinting ruby eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Oh no." Shyu groaned, walking up to the door and pressing his hand against the metal.

"What's wrong Shyu?" Aang asked curiously as he approached the middle-aged fire sage.

"The doors are closed," Shyu explained, gesturing at the creepy snake heads, "the other sages must have closed them when they heard you were coming."

"Can't you open it?" Katara asked. Shyu shook his head.

"No, this door will only open with five simultaneous blasts of fire from either five firebenders or a fully realized avatar." We fell silent. Part of me wanted to fix the problem right away, but another part of me was reminded that Sokka deserved his time to shine, he wasn't going to get enough anyway.

"Five simultaneous fire blasts…" Sokka murmured thoughtfully. I grinned, I hadn't needed to wait long at all.

"I have an idea!" Sokka cried, face alight.

"Shyu, do you have any blasting powder or jelly here in the temple?" Shyu frowned in thought before nodding and showing us to a side room not to far away. Sokka grinned when seeing the supplies there and quickly gave us each a job.

"Aang I need you to find some sort of cloth, Katara find some pieces of rope or thick twine, Shyu I need that blasting powder, Pala come with me." I followed Sokka to one of the corners of the room. The excitement in his face all but lighting our way.

"Pala, I need you to find the lamp oil, can you do that?" I nodded and Sokka hurried off. I smiled, the happiness was contagious. I was flattered that Sokka had given me one of the more dangerous jobs, the other being given to Shyu. Maybe the direct dealings with those elements weren't dangerous in and out of themselves but we would undoubtedly end up fighting firebenders sometime soon. None of us wanted any explosive or flammable substance on our bodies when we would be facing off against a group of people who could manipulate fire.

I lifted a lid of one of the containers and carefully wafted the fumes to see if it was the oil I was looking. I blinked in surprise when I realized that it was oil but it was scented. It was probably for rituals or prayers. Deciding that if the ash in the mouths of the snakes smelt like perfume might hint at our lie I closed the lid and tried another.

It took me three barrels before I found the regular lamp oil. Once I had I dragged the barrel over to Sokka where he had created the bombs. Five dark clothes were wrapped around a large portion of blast powder. Into and around the mouth of each bag was a thin cord. Sokka nodded to me lifted the lid. Nodding appreciatively he dipped the wicks of each bomb into the oil. Once that was done, he handed two to Shyu and one to me. We exited the room quickly and went back to the door where we inserted the bombs into the mouths of the snakes. While I checked to make sure all the bombs were secure Sokka explained his reasoning.

"Pala, come on." Katara called to me standing slightly behind one of the pillars. I nodded and joined her and Aang. Sokka turned to look at us, walking over so that he was within a safe distance.

"When they go off it's going to create a pretty big explosion," he warned Aang, "so the second the door are open you have to rush through." Aang nodded seriously. Sokka turned and nodded at Shyu who's fist caught fire. I closed my eyes and turned my head away as I heard them explode.

My ears were ringing. I grimaced as I was shoved away by a gust of air as Aang dashed out and promptly came across the solid door, which hadn't moved at all.

"No." Aang whispered.

"It didn't work." Shyu groaned. It appeared that this apparent failure was too much for Aang. Furious he began to assault the thick metal with huge gusts of wind.

"Why won't it open!" Aang shouted, frustration clear on his face.

"I don't understand, that looked just as strong as any fire blasts I've seen." Sokka muttered, scratching his cheek and looking completely confused. Katara, hearing what Sokka said spun and, taking a close look at the door grinned.

"Sokka! You're a genius!"

"How's Sokka a genius? His plan didn't even work." Aang asked, turning around from where he had been trying to knock down the doors with air. Sokka smirked.

"Let her dream Aang." I swatted Sokka on the back of the head for that comment. Sokka winced and rubbed the spot I had hit, sending me a wounded look.

"That's not what she meant," I snapped, before turning to the fourteen year old water bender, "you were saying Katara?"

* * *

I felt like I was trying to even hide the sound of my breath as I pressed myself to the back of the pillar beside Aang. All it would take for our hide away to be given away was for one of the sages to come up the stairs that were slightly behind us, or for one of them to look back at the pillars from an angel. We were way to exposed to be comfortable.

Luckily the plan proceeded smoothly for a while. Just before the fire sages opened the door I found myself looking toward those stairs. To my shock a certain familiar pony tailed, golden eyed prince staring at Aang. If Aang even thought about his peripheral vision he would see the teenaged prince. I felt a sudden surge of heat. I was completely aware that meant that the door was opening and I would have to charge out in a second to take down a fire sage. The sudden blast of fire had also caught the attention of another. I froze when the fire prince's eyes locked on mine. Had he been so focused on Aang he honestly hadn't seen me? It appeared so, otherwise why else would he look so surprised?

"It's the avatar's lemur! It must have crawled through the pipes!" That was my cue. I pushed Zuko out of my mind and charged out, tackling the first sage in my view. The man yelped as he was shoved to the floor. I pinned his arms behind his back. Looking up I noticed that the other sages were taken down as well. Katara's sage was suspiciously soaking wet and she looked as pleased as punch. Sokka's was looking nervously at the sharp boomerang cradling his neck. Shyu hadn't been as enthusiastic as we had, the sage he had taken simply bent slightly with his arms behind his back. On the other hand though, Shyu's captive was the eldest of the sages.

"Aang! Now's your chance!" To my absolute shock Aang tore out from behind the pillars, Zuko not even a second behind. I cried out as I bucked off the back of the fire sage and thrown to the floor. Despite what the fire sages were trying to do it was too late. Aang was through the metal doors then they glowed blue and snapped shut. I didn't have a moment to question why that had happened so quickly as I suddenly felt my hand grabbed by someone. I jumped and pulled away. To my shock the person let go without a fight. Turning to get a better look I froze. I was standing over my own prone body, the fire sage who had been about to grab me staring shocked at it. I looked to my right slightly to see a strange woman standing there, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello Maddi."

* * *

_Zuko: An hour earlier_

_Zuko: An hour previous_

I stared at the giant bison as I stood on the deck of my ship. The avatar was on that giant beast, just a few yards ahead and a few miles up, but so was that girl.

_"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."_ I couldn't get her out of my mind. She was a mystery. The only things I really knew about her was her name, that she thought that I would be a better fire lord then my father and that she was fire nation. That wasn't a lot to go by. I sighed and rubbed my forehead tiredly. The way she held herself, the way she spoke told of someone who was educated and of a high birth but her features did not belong to any high class fire nation woman, her features belonged to those of the lower class. One of the explanations was that she was some lords bastard daughter who had been blackmailed to pay for the girl's schooling. The other, that she had been a servant girl at the palace, which is how she knew the personal details of my life. The second seemed more accurate, but if she was a servant girl her sharp tongue would have quickly gotten her into trouble and kicked out. Unless she could act just like anyone else... maybe she was putting on an act for the avatar and his friends? I didn't know and that very lack of knowledge was bothering me.

"Is something bothering you Prince Zuko?" Uncle asked, amber eyes warm and knowing. He knew what I was thinking of, but he insisted upon asked every single time.

"It's the girl again." I admitted roughly.

"Ah, Madison was her name right?" I glared at uncle harshly. I didn't want to think about her name right now. I wanted answers.

"Yes." I bit back.

"A very unusual name... I have never heard one like it before in all my travels. Especially for a girl." Iroh chuckled in a good-natured manor. I opened my mouth to snap back an answer when one of the sailors came charging into the room.

"Sir! The avatar's bison has been spotted five miles to the west." I stood up, mentally calculating where that would place the bison. I froze when I realized just where that was.

"They're heading toward fire nation waters."

* * *

__Current time__

I glared down at the traitor. The middle-aged fire sage gazed black, amber eyes calm, only once in a while flicking to look over at those he had betrayed his country for. The water tribe siblings, and Madison who had passed out after the doors had shut and sealed themselves. I shook my head, I didn't have time to think about her right now.

"Tell me, why did you betray your country." I snapped, catching the sage's attention. Seriously, the sage replied in an empty voice.

"Because it is our duty. It has always been out duty." I glared, and raised a hand before dropping it in disgust. Maddi sagged against the chains binding her to the opposite pillar as her friends, breath shallow. If I hadn't seen that she had been in perfect health not ten minutes ago I would have thought that she had been sick or was even on her deathbed. Healthy people did not breath like that.

"Well you look at that, two birds, one stone. The firelord will be pleased." The familiar voice rang out. I grit his teeth and turned to glare at a man I now considered my sworn enemy. Lieutenant Zhao.

"What are you doing here Zhao?" I snarled, I could feel his internal fire rise up just at the sight of the man.

"I came to pay a visit." Zhao replied, "Your little trick with the smoke failed. Tie him up with the other traitors." Zhao's soldiers moved forward to do as requested. To my shock and anger, one of the sages grabbed my hands and helped two other soldiers restrain me. I struggled, eyes bright with self-righteous fury. Zhao was going to pay for this dearly.

* * *

_Madison_

_"Hello Maddi."_

I stared at the woman blankly. Once again it had appeared time had frozen upon contact with the spirit world. No one around me was moving. No one, except the strange woman. I eyed her up and down cautiously, feeling a pang of jealousy at the same time. This stranger was breathtakingly beautiful. Long red hair, gold eyes, a tall figure, pale, flawless skin. She was everything I could ever dream of being in the looks department. The only thing that she didn't have was large breasts, which actually seemed a fairly common trait from what I had seen in this world... I shook my head. Comparing our chest sizes wasn't what mattered right now. Why this woman had dragged me into the spirit world against my will and how she knew my name was what mattered.

"Who are you?" I demanded, glaring at her with the most intimidating stare I could form. She just raised a dark, thin eyebrow.

"You don't need to be rude. I could have whisked you off where I was supposed to without any warning. This was simply a courtesy." I looked at her blankly. If this was a courtesy then I wasn't sure I wanted to see rude. To my shock she chuckled.

"You humans are such strange creatures, sometimes I wonder if you want us to read your thoughts the way you project them." She laughed again before grabbing my arm. I shouted in panic as I suddenly was standing on a white plain. Above me, towering miles above me stood five giant figures, one of which I recognized as the woman who greeted me.

On my far left was the woman from before but her appearance had changed somewhat. Her red hair was pulled into a typical firenation topknot, with two long strands left to hang in front of her ears. The style reminded me of Azula's hairstyle, except this woman's hair was full of oranges, yellows and reds. If I hadn't known better I would have thought that her hair was on fire. Her dress fell off one shoulder and fluttered to her knees. At the top it was a brilliant white, then it changed to blue, then yellow and lastly red. every time she moved her dress made a snap like a piece of damp wood in a campfire.

"I am Agni," she said with a welcoming smile and a twinkle in her gold eyes, "the goddess of fire. I am the lord protector of the fire nation." I stared at her in shock. If this was Agni herself... I moved my eyes to the next person. She had hair as white as fresh fallen snow with a light silvery gleam. Her skin was pale and flawless and glowed in the same silvery light as her hair. Now that I noticed I saw that her entire form was glowing, all except her eyes which were the darkest blue I had ever seen. Her dress was coloured nearly the same colour as her eyes, except small silver specks. My eyes naturally drew lines between the specks and in shock I realized that her dress was the night sky and the specks were the stars. Her sash was almost completely made from stars, with a rich blue and purple background. There was no doubt in my mind that her sash was the milky way. It was perfectly clear to me that I was looking at the goddess of the moon, La. Which meant that the man who was running his fingers through her long hair must be Tui.

Tui was just as majestic as La, except he seemed to be her very opposite. His hair was so black it seemed to absorb all the light that came from La and yet his silver eyes matched her so perfectly. Tui wore a parka with the hood down that upon close inspection changed colour from nearly perfect black to the palest of blues at his shoulders. I noticed that it looked like the images on his outfit moved slightly. It wasn't until I noticed that a small gold and orange fish about the size of my pinky near his shoulder that I realized that his parka represented the very ocean itself. Why else would he have actual swimming elephant koi? No one introduced them so I assumed that everyone knew I had recognized them.

The next person in the semi-circle was hard to describe. He was pale, like he had no colour at all. Occasionally the faintest of oranges would appear on his outfit, which was a long-sleeved robe. The only other colour on his person was a blue arrow on his bald head. As I watched he smiled at me, pale eyes seeming to shift in front of me. In shock I realized that his form was constantly changing. One moment he looked as young as Aang, the next he was an old man. His features didn't even stay the same. I followed his robe down to where it should have met the ground, instead it slowly vanished until all that remained was a thin mist.

"Hello Madison," he spoke in a strange hollow, echoing voice, "I am Lung, god of air." I nodded and turned to the last person.

In comparison to all the other deities this man looked strangely human. He had a short-cropped beard, tanned skin, and brown hair and eyes. His features were hard and blunt, with a square-shaped jaw and eyes like a hawks. He wore a green tunic and beige pants and he was barefoot. The only thing that seemed strange was his oddly shaped cloak which fell only past his shoulder blades and looked more like a badly cut rag then a cloak. Looking carefully I noticed that he stood slightly farther away from the others, with his back turned slightly, like he was mad. The sulky expression on his face didn't help matters much. He shot me a venomous glare that actually caused me to take a step back.

"And that is Prithvi, god of the earth." Prithvi snorted but didn't say anything. Swallowing I decided to take matters into my own hands.

"Listen... thanks for the introduction and all but... why am I here?" Agni chuckled and bent down to get a closer look at me.

"We have been watching you for some time Madison, ever since you fell through the spirit world into our lands you've been a mystery. But you've made a difference, you've changed the very world just by being around and none of us knows what is going to happen because of it." Agni explained. I took a step back, partly intimidated by her sheer size and partially because of how much heat her body radiated. I had the uncomfortable feeling that I'd burn up and turn into ash if I actually touched her.

"Are you going to smite me or something?" I asked nervously, were they mad with how I was messing with how things were supposed to be? Agni laughed brightly. This time it was Lung who moved towards me.

"Nothing like that, we want to help you, we didn't know the future anymore then anyone else until you came along. We now know what to expect from Ozai and we wish to thank you for that. You may chose a gift from one of us, whatever you want you can have it." He leaned back with a smirk. I furrowed my brow and bit my lip, unsure.

"You're telling me I can ask for anything from one of you and you'll give it to me, just like that? So what if I asked to become a ruler of my own new nation you'd do that?" I challenged. I highly doubted that they would do that. There had to be some underlying motive behind at least one of these spirits, I just didn't know who. Besides, choosing a gift from just one when there were five would end up with me possibly making four powerful enemies. I had read the Iliad and I did not want to get on the bad side of even one of these 'deities'.

"Well, not quite," Agni stated lightly, sending a sharp look at Prithvi, "not everyone is supportive of the idea."

"And your request has to be within reason and within our power." La said, speaking for the first time. I noticed her voice was as silvery and light as her appearance.

"And that means..." Lung laughed, the sound reminded me of a powerful wind blowing through trees.

"Just chose one of us, and you can bend whatever element you want."

* * *

A/N: Wow, I just want to say I am absolutely stunned. Currently Change the World has nearly seventy followers. (almost) Seventy followers, thirty five reviews and forty-four favourites. I'm really happy about this. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and while, yes it was a cliff-hanger It felt like this was the natural place to stop. Also this chapter has made the record of longest chapter in this story at 5,110 words. I know it isn't quite as long as some of you hoped it would be. Anyway let me know what you think. One last thing, thank you Anon for your wonderful review. Since you're a guest I can't review by PM but I hope you are going to keep reading and enjoying my story.

Princess Kassie Out.


	13. Spirits Part 3: Warning

Chapter 13  
Spirits part 3: Warning

_"Your request has to be within reason and within our power." La said, speaking for the first time. I noticed her voice was as silvery and light as her appearance._

"And that means..." Lung laughed, the sound reminded me of a powerful wind blowing through trees.

"Just chose one of us, and you can bend whatever element you want."

I looked at the spirits thoughtfully. All I had to do was choose one of them and I could bend whatever element I wanted. My eyes flicked between Angi and Lung. No offence to Tui and La but water wasn't one of the elements I was interested in, besides we already had a waterbender on the team, we didn't need another. I paused when I looked at Lung. I had felt a connection to airbending since the first time I saw it. On the other hand, firebending would be an amazingly powerful element. Still, I would have no one to teach me until season three, late season three at that. I didn't want to be wandering around with little to no control over my bending. That was when another thought came to my mind. I knew that no matter what I chose Prithvi wouldn't be happy, but what about the others, would they attack too?

"You said my request just has to be within reason and your power, so... you can give me something else besides a bending ability?" I asked curiously.

"Could you send me home?" There was silence. Then, slowly Agni replied.

"I'm sorry Maddi. Even with all of our powers together… the chances are small and even then… you might die." I forced a smile, shrugging it off with a painful laugh.

"It's okay," my voice cracked, I coughed and continued, "I didn't think anyone would be able to."

"We don't have to give you a bending ability," Agni stated softly, "we could-"

"Why would you choose something else when you could have an entire element at your fingertips?" Lung asked. I frowned. Something was off with Lung but I couldn't quite make it out. For a moment there, I thought I had seen desperation in his eyes.

"So hypothetically if I chose... water." I kept a close eye on the other spirits. Agni looked disappointed, Prthivi didn't seem to care and Lung... I shivered and looked away. The look in his eyes worried me. I took a step back and began to think. I had read several books about mythology, Norse, Greek, Egyptian. All of them had one thing in common when two gods or goddesses asked for you to choose between them it always ended with those not chosen outright attacking you. Could I afford to make enemies of such powerful beings?

I took a deep breath, I needed to decide but I also didn't want to make enemies because it wasn't just me anymore. Deities in legends and lore wouldn't stop themselves from hurting a friend or relative to get even with the one who scorned them. I couldn't do that to my friends. No matter how badly I wanted to bend. I felt like my heart was ripping in two. The choice, the only choice that was safe was clear to me now. That wasn't the problem. I wanted to be a bender so badly that it hurt.

Think of Aang. I thought desperately, think of Sokka and Katara, would you ever forgive yourself if they were hurt? I looked up, even though it hurt I spoke.

"I've decided."

* * *

_Aang_

"It's good to see you Aang. What took you so long?" I sighed at Roku's appearance.

"Roku." I replied. Roku didn't waste any time, he quickly began speaking.

"I have something important to tell you Aang." Roku stated, face serene and calm.

"Is it about that vision? That comet? The one Fang showed me?" I asked. That question had been burning to get out since I had seen the image of the comet in my mind.

"Yes and no. That is only part of why you are here. But I will address that first." Roku looked me straight in the eyes.

"A hundred years ago a comet was used by Fire Lord Sozin to begin the war. This particular comet passes by the world every hundred years. Sozin used the comet's energy to make himself and his army strong enough to destroy the Airbenders. Now Fire Lord Ozai plans to harness the comet's power for his own ends." A sudden realization struck me. If Fire lord Ozai was planning to use the comet that meant the comet was arriving soon.

"How long?"

"The comet will arrive near summers end." I froze in shock. The comet was coming near the end of this summer. I had to master three elements in a little less than a year.

"But I haven't even started to learn waterbending! Let alone earth and fire! And who knows where I'll find a firebending teacher." I exclaimed. Roku smiled and stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You can do it Aang. After all you have done it before and you aren't alone. You have friends and you have an advantage that no other avatar has had before." I frowned. I had an advantage that no other avatar had? What was that?

"I am not at liberty to tell you everything Aang. All I can say is simply trust your friends, even if they cannot tell you why they are asking you to do something. Be patient and wait for them to explain themselves and their reasoning." I opened my mouth to ask who he was talking about when he stepped away.

"Our time together is coming to an end." Roku closed his eyes. I paused then did the same.

"A great danger awaits you at the temple. I can help you face the threat. But only if you are ready."

"I'm ready"

* * *

_Madison_

I took a deep breath and then spoke, my fingers wrapped tightly in my dress.

"I'm not going to say who I'm choosing or what my gift is right away so just wait a moment." I turned to Prithvi, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I'm just assuming by the way you've been acting around me since the beginning that you're not going to give me a gift if I begged. Right?" Prithvi gazed at me before nodding once. I returned the gesture and then moved on to Tui and La.

"I really appreciate what you do and what you represent," I admitted solemnly, "but I don't feel a connection to your element. Besides," I added with a smile, "I don't want to steal Katara's thunder."

I turned to Agni next. I tightened my grip on my dress and locked my knees, trying to hide my trembling.

"I love firebending, it's both power and life. It is beautiful and has so much potential. However," I stopped for a moment to let my words fully sink in, "if I was to choose your element there would be a lot of issues. You're just giving me the ability to bend, not the training of how to use it. I would be an untrained firebender with no hope of a teacher until three maybe four months before the end of summer. I don't know whether I can teach myself or what might happen if I try to. Above all, I can't endanger my friends." I turned to Lung my entire body was trembling. If my assumptions about this spirit were right he was not going to like my next words.

"Don't say a word," Lung said with a grin, "your wish-"

"I'm not choosing airbending." Lung froze, literally, even most of his swirling vapours stopped moving. He had the biggest look of shock on his face that I had ever seen.

"I pride myself on being educated, intelligent and logical" I explained. Any thought of hiding my trembling was gone and now tears pricked my eyes. I wanted airbending so badly it hurt. "And choosing airbending isn't logical." Looking around I noticed all the spirits looked shocked, even Prithvi though he looked impressed as well.

"If I am to live in this world for the rest of my life I need to think about my future. Even after the adventure is over." I explained, trying to reason with them.

"Whatever strange phenomena I went through to get here, gave me the ability to understand the common language when spoken. It failed to give me the ability to understand the written language. I don't know why, I don't know how. I don't know if someone transferred me here why they would think reading wasn't important." I felt tears prickle at my eyes and something wet run down my cheek. Part of me wanted to scream and say that I still wanted airbending but I couldn't do that. Lung was moving again and there was a dangerous look in his eyes.

"For a girl who is so proud of her education not being able to read is hard and if I have to live here, my means of entertainment is in the written word. The only way people are entertained here is by music, theatre, stories and reading. Music… well I enjoy it but besides that it is out of the question, theatre…" I trailed off. Inside my mind the image of a man with dark hair and shining eyes standing on a stage, performing with all his soul appeared. Perfectly in character, twisting every heart with his speech. A man who used to make all sorts of funny voices for his giggling daughter as she requested all her favourites. My father.

"I learned about the theatre from my dad," I admitted, my voice cracking, "he was a natural and he taught me as much as he could. I don't have any acting talent but I can write a good script which is how I was able to improve upon Katara's awful one back at Haru's village." I was feeling strength return to me as I became more sure of my decision even as Lung's face twisted to fury.

"Stories, well I can tell stories I've heard but I like to keep them true to the original telling, meaning writing them down. And reading requires that I know how to read. But this isn't about entertainment, I'm not stupid I can find ways to entertain myself. Reading is an important skill, one that I'll need if I'm to survive in this world." My body had stopped shaking and I stared boldly at Lung's darkening face.

"So I ask from all of you, or any who are willing to help, to give me the ability to understand the written word of this world. I want to understand the language." There was silence all around me before Agni smiled and stepped forward.

"So be it." Tui and La looked at each other at the same time, nodded and stepped forward in sync. To my surprise Prithvi came up as well. Lung's face was completely contorted. With a snarl he vanished in a whirlwind. There was a bright flash and everything went back for a split second before returning to the same white plain.

I blinked and looked up. Prithvi stood in front of me. He had lost a lot of his former height, now standing only six-foot four. It was still taller than me but more comfortable than his earlier towering height. I half expected to have to scramble to my feet, but I was looking at Prithvi from the same view I had blacked out in. I was still standing on my feet. Deciding to leave logic behind on that confusing point for fear of my head exploding I instead turned to Prithvi.

"Why did you join? I thought you hated me?" The god of the earth just snorted.

"Hardly, I don't care for you but I don't hate you. Consider ourselves neutral." I narrowed my eyes, but nodded.

"Then why am I here?"

"The others believe that you are asleep still and will awaken later, in reality I have held you behind so we could talk privately." I leaned back slightly, crossing my arms.

"Talk about what?" I challenged. I wasn't angry with Prithvi, just suspicious. I didn't understand the motives of these spirits and that was making me wary.

"Your choice. I commend you, very few humans can boast of besting a spirit, let alone four." He replied, chesty voice humming like a drum.

"I wasn't besting them," I replied frankly, "I was being logical."

"You denied yourself something you wanted greatly all for the sake of your friends and a suspicion you had. That requires a great amount of self-control. You are a surprising human, Madison. You found the only option that would keep you and your friends in no more danger than before." I blinked and looked up at Prithvi in shock. That had been my goal but I hadn't realized that I had succeeded so well.

"How?" I asked.

"I was out of the question, I wasn't willing to give you a gift and you weren't going to choose earthbending anyway. Water was your best bet, Agni would have gotten over the disappointment since you are officially one of the water tribe's people. I would have remained neutral and Lung... his reaction wasn't going to change no matter what you chose. Choosing Agni would have had Tui and La attack you along with Lung and if you had chosen Lung..." Prithvi raised himself to his full height and looked down on me.

"If you had chosen Lung you would have regretted it quickly. I would have gone after you with all my power. My brother and I do not get along well." I gaped at Prithvi in shock. Lung was his brother, I knew deity family trees could get confusing but the two seemed so dissimilar. I would have never guessed.

"Agni is quick to forgive. She is the youngest of all of us and goes were her passions take her. Tui and La are often to concerned with the other to be of much use." Prithvi continued lightly.

"So what? You still haven't answered why you're here." I pointed out. Mentally I set aside all this knowledge for examination later, it was intriguing.

"I am here to give you a warning." I looked back at Prithvi's face. His dark eyes seemed to hold great depths to them, as thought I was looking into the centre of the world.

"Lung is not to be trusted. He may seem kind and friendly but as the wind his motives and intentions are ever shifting. He has his own agenda and he keeps his coin sack well hidden." I grimaced at the strange metaphor until I realized it was this worlds way of saying that he keeps his cards close to his chest.

"As I told you before, fire follows where her passions lead and water and moon are to involved with each other to pay attention. I however, am the earth. All creatures living on my surface are mine, no matter what nation. I am ever watching, ever waiting. I am aware of much more than you know." He gazed at me with a stern expression before saying.

"You cannot trust every spirit blindly anymore then you can trust every person. Think before making you choices and remember, sometimes enemies come from the most innocent in appearance."

* * *

_Sokka_

There were a lot of things I was expecting when Aang ran through the temple doors. A blue light to shine and lock the doors, sure why not? For the scar-faced prince Zuko to tie us all up? Yep, totally saw that coming. For Pala to collapse into a dead faint at the exact same time the doors shut? That was the single event that had me surprised. We could get away from Zuko, we had done it before after all but I wasn't sure what I could do to help Pala. Chained next to my sister on one of the carved poles in front of the doors I couldn't help but keep glancing over at Pala. She was unusually pale and her breathing was shallow. She didn't look healthy. She looked like she had when she had first appeared on the shoreline of our village, on the verge of death. Seeing her that way brought back memories of the day I had found her.

_I clambered up the wall of snow to look out over the village and the surrounding area. I placed my gloved hand on my forehead and peered out, feeling like a warrior, guarding the village. It was my duty-_

_My daydream was cut off when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Turning, I saw the unmistakable body of a human half washed up on the shore. I shouted in alarm, calling for help from the village and jumped off the wall._

_Tearing across the snow-covered plain I ran to him. The person didn't move. Slowing I noticed several things at once. One, the person had long hair covering his face. Two, his left arm was bent at an angle, leaving no doubt in my mind that it was broken. Three this person was wearing practically nothing, some sort of purple rag over one shoulder, a pair of pants made out of a strange material, and one sock. I didn't have much more time to examine him because at least four women from the village including gran-gran ran over and pushed me aside. As they passed me I noticed something which caused my face to become hot. I quickly averted my gaze as I realized my 'him' hadn't been male._

Over the next few days I had managed to convince myself that if she found out I had been the one to find her she would be grateful. I found myself fantasizing about the sort of person she was. If I told that to Pala, she would have told me it was to be expected, I was a teenaged boy who hadn't seen a girl his age other than his sister since he was nine. Still, remembering how I had acted caused my face to heat up.

"Well you look at that, two birds, one stone. The firelord will be pleased." Katara and I looked up at the new voice. Another fire nation man, this one with brown hair and sidburns sauntered up to where Zuko had been interrogating Shyu with a smug smile on his face.

"What are you doing here Zhao?" Zuko snarled. I could feel the hostility radiating from the two fire nation warriors. I couldn't care about their personal oppions for each other but I was worreid for what this meant for us.

"I came to pay a visit." The stranger, Zhao replied, "Your little trick with the smoke failed." He smirked then spoke to his soldiers. "Tie him up with the other traitors." Zhao's soldiers moved forward to do as requested and Zuko was forced against the pillar opposite us. The pillar with Pala.

I felt like hours had passed before anything happened. Finally, near sunset the door opened.

"Aang!" Katara screamed, pulling against the chains binding her to me and the stone. My heart sank. There was no way that Aang would make it. Several streams of scorching fire were shot between the doors.

To everyone's shock the fire formed an orb, bending around Aang. That didn't seem quite right to me. If Aang had been airbending shouldn't the fire have evaporated? It was then I noticed the man standing in the door's entrance wasn't Aang. He was tall and old, with a long white beard falling to his chest and he was dressed in red robes.

"It's Avatar Roku!" One of the sages screamed in panic. My heart stopped for a split second before jumping into erratic pounding. Wasn't Avatar Roku dead? And where was Aang? A wave of pure heat pressed past us, uncomfortably warm but not hot. When I opened my eyes and looked down though, all the chains had melted away. There was no way that was possible, the heat it would take to melt steel should have left us like burnt warlrus-seal, little more then charred flesh. I was distracted from my thoughts when I noticed Pala's unconscious form laying on the ground. I abandoned Katara and Shyu, running to where she lay. Zuko was gone but I didn't really care. I picked Pala up, groaning. She was heavier than I expected and I nearly dropped her. Wincing I shifted her so she wasn't going to fall. Then I turned to Katara.

The sages had vanished as had Zhao. When my gaze shifted to the door I expected to see Roku again, instead Aang was there with Katara. The next thing I noticed was that a huge seam of lava separating Pala and I from my sister and Aang. Katara and I locked eyes and nodded then we took off to the large window behind the pillars, each with our charge.

"Appa!" I heard Aang call. Peering past the edge of the window I recognized the familiar fuzzy monster flying toward us. Appa passed by Aang and Katara's part of the window first. Both jumped, easily making it onto the giant. Grimacing I tightened my hold on Pala and jumped.

I landed roughly, instinctively I curled around Pala to protect her from the fall. I lay there on Appa's saddle for a while just breathing. Katara and Aang both were to busy trying to find out what was wrong with Pala to notice me. I could deal with that, I was worried about Pala too. Finally I sat up, wincing as I moved my shoulder. It felt like I had pulled a muscle. I gently rubbed it while watching. Finally Pala shifted slightly and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She asked, completely oblivious to how worried we all were. Katara started filling her in on what had happened while I tried to make them laugh by over dramatizing everything Katara said.

"Then Sokka picked you up-" Katara started before I cut her off with a grin.

"Yeah, do you know how heavy you are?" Silence. It didn't take me long to figure out that I had defiantly said the wrong thing.

"I mean you need to gain some weight is it healthy to be that light?" I back peddled in alarm. Apparently my attempt to fix the situation only made it worse.

"I mean that... compared to Katara-"

"SOKKA!'

"Sokka," Pala stated very softly, "I recommend you shut up before you dig your own grave." I wisely followed her instructions and closed my mouth. Aang turned to look at me.

"Why are they upset?" He asked in confusion.

"I don't know? Who knows why girl's act the way they do?"

"SOKKA!"

* * *

_Poor Sokka. Anyway, I just want to let you guys know that near the end of September, early October my updating for those two weeks might be a little erratic as my family will finally be moving out of an apartment into an actual house. I know you all wanted Maddi/Pala to get a bending ability and to be honest, so did I. The problem was that I just could not reasonably see Maddi choosing a bending ability, as badly as she wanted to and with the plans I have for Lung (some of which you saw with his reaction to Maddi's speech), it would be unfair to leave Maddi burdened with that. In making this decision I was also worried that if I made Maddi a bender she would slip into Mary Sue-dom which I have been activly avoiding since the beginning. I want Maddi to be a realistic character to whom anyone can understand and giving her a supernatural power (even one so minor as bending) was going to take away from that part of her. Even so it was a very difficult choice and I actually found myself emotionally drained by the time I finished that scene. Actually this entire chapter was that way. I'm probably going to lose some people for that choice but it had to be made, I couldn't go around being wishy-washy anymore._

_Now I'm going to address a guest's review._

Guest

I don't want to be rude, but Agni is a male god, not a goddess. Just google it... Oh and should La be death or something.  
Otherwise good chapter.

_First of all you're not being rude, you made a very good point. I did google it and yes, Agni is a male hindi god, he has two heads, is the messenger god as well as god of fire and rides a ram. However, there is no way of knowing if the Agni in Avatar is supposed to be the same as the way he is portrayed in our world. Personally I prefer Agni as female because that is always how I have imagined the god/goddess of fire in the avatar world. That is the only reason. Secondly why would La be the goddess of death? In the avatar world she is the goddess of the moon. If you mean should she be the goddess of death because of what happened with Yue... well I have something very special planned for the last three episodes of season 1 and let's just leave it at that. Anyway thank you for reviewing and I hope you continue to enjoy my story._

_Oh yes, one last thing. I have had two people approach me with this and I don't want a similar misunderstanding to occur. the gods and goddesses (Lung, Prithvi, Tui, La and Agni) weren't representing the nation but the elements themselves. The gods and goddesses can make a conscious choice to pay attention to the nation that corresponds to their element but they don't have to. So Lung isn't the god of the air nomads, but the god of air (personally I think that the air nomads don't believe in a god but follow more of a Buddhist belief system which may alienate Lung from them). As for how Lung was acting I have a very good reason and you guys will find that out later. In my opinion wind can be more dangerous then fire. Wind pushes fire into firestorms, it can cause tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunami's and hundreds of other storm systems. Anyway I hope that made my intentions clear and I'm sorry for any misunderstanding I might have caused_

_Princess Kassie Out._


	14. Beyond Reason

Chapter 14

Beyond Reason

I lay in my sleeping bag, looking up at the stars. We were once again on earth kingdom soil, not that I cared much. My mind was spinning over the events of earlier today, or was it yesterday now? Either way I was exhausted but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. Something I had read once was haunting me. I couldn't remember where I had heard it before, maybe one of my friends who also knew Avatar had mentioned it. In the end it didn't matter where it came from, the fact remained that I remembered.

"Unless you're a bender you're not important in the avatar world. Everyone knows Aang, Katara and Toph but Sokka, Suki and even Ty Lee would be forgotten in time. Their names blurred until they are just companions, vague forms to be mentioned occasionally." Was that my fate now in this world? Was I doomed to be nothing because I had chosen not to take a gift that could potentially hurt my friends? I couldn't have taken any other choice, if I had taken an ability I would have endangered my friends and have been scorned for as long as my name was remembered. Now though was I just going to be forgotten. I had always assumed that becoming a character in a story would guarantee that I would be remembered as a hero. People would speak of my deeds for years to come… that I would be someone. I shivered. Back at home I had always aspired to have a large group of people know me. I wanted people to remember me, I wanted to be that girl who always made you smile, I wanted to be remembered. But now it seemed that I would be lost in the mists of time. No one was immortal and the few people who we as a people did remember often had aspects changed. Besides my knowledge of the future which I had done very little to act upon, what was the point of my being here?

I groaned and rolled over. Why was I getting so philosophical tonight, was it because I was over tired or was it something else? I flipped over again and closed my eyes. I needed to sleep, I was going to be of no use to my friends if I was over tired.

I must have eventually drifted off because I was woken up by brilliant sunlight shining in my eyes. With a grunt I flipped over, burying my face in the pillow and trying to fall asleep again.

"I know you're awake." I heard Sokka call, probably from Appa's head.

"Sokka, leave Pala alone." Katara retorted from somewhere nearby. There was silence for a moment before Sokka spoke again.

"Aang, if you keep pacing like that you're going to trip over Pala and fly off."

"I'm sorry," Aang replied, "I just can't stop thinking about what Roku said. How am I supposed to master three elements before the end of summer!" I sighed and sat up. My hair was fuzzy and tangled and half pulling out of my usual braid. With a sigh I undid the mess and began to braid it once again.

"Well…" Katara spoke slowly, "I could teach you what I know about waterbending… it isn't much but-"

"You'd do that?" Aang broke in, looking up at Katara. Katara nodded then looked up at Sokka.

"We're going to need somewhere we can waterbend." She told her bother. Sokka shrugged and turned slightly to address us.

"Maybe we can find a puddle for you to splash around in." I shot a scathing look at the water tribe prince and shook my head. Sokka was going to regret that choice of words.

* * *

"Some puddle." I snickered at Sokka's annoyed look. Katara and Aang were beaming excitedly up at what looked like a ten foot tall waterfall. Laughing, I grabbed Sokka by the arm.

"How about we get some practice in while Katara is teaching Aang how to 'splash'," I suggested, my lips curling. Sokka looked at me for a moment before comprehending. With a grin he pulled out his boomerang and club. As we squared off I noticed Katara talking to Aang. I pulled myself away from any distractions and readied my fan. We were both still for what felt like a long time. Sokka took a step forward. I didn't waste a second more. I threw my fans up, ready for battle and swept forward. Sokka swung down his club, I blocked by raising my fan. After that I was completely engulfed in the complex dance going on between Sokka and I. Every once in a while there was a clang as his boomerang met the coated metal of my fans. Occupied with the boomerang I forgot about Sokka's other weapon. It was only because I saw the club coming at me from the corner of my eye that allowed me to doge away.

As suddenly as it had begun our fight was finished. A dark shadow covered the sun. Freezing, both Sokka and I turned only to be drenched by a huge wave. I spluttered and swept my soaking braid off my shoulder, turning to sent a pointed look at a certain young airbender. Aang shifted and looked away, careful to keep his eyes averted from me.

"What was that?" Sokka demanded his voice harsh as he twisted water from his hair.

"Sorry Sokka, we were just waterbending." Sokka snorted at Aang's sincere reply. I couldn't blame him, we were both soaked and neither of us was particularly happy about it.

"Well you just waterbended all over our supplies." Sokka snapped. I turned, curious. Sokka was right, our supplies were drenched and while this wasn't as bad as them being washed downstream some of our items would undoubtedly need to be replaced. I groaned and joined Sokka, Aang and Katara in trying to save our things.

Half an hour later we were wandering around the harbour port buying the items that had been to ruined to be salvaged. Mostly that consisted of dried fruits that had managed to absorb water, bread products, the occasional piece of meat that we hid from Aang and a few other odd items. I was pleased that we still had some coinage left from King Bumi that amounted to more than two copper pieces. In actuality we had about twenty which was enough to buy a weeks rations and not much more.

"Well," I spoke aloud while leaning against a wooden wall, "Twenty is better than two." I was careful to keep an eye on all the unsavoury characters at this port. This was the prime place for pirates and thieves. I had already had to warn away two men with glares and the threat of hidden weapons I didn't want to really consider just how bad this situation might get.

"Make that nineteen." Of course Aang couldn't resist buying the bison whistle. Then again, it was probably better that he did the whistle would be useful in several tight situations. Katara raised an eye and held her hand out. I didn't blame her, Aang obviously couldn't handle money. Aang sheepishly handed over the small coin pouch, blushing lightly in embarrassment. I sighed.

"Come on, I want practice some more and I can't do that here." I told my friends, trying to hide the fact that this place bothered me a lot more than I was willing to admit. I felt like I was in the bad part of town, the one with police cars constantly patrolling and the middle and high classes either took transportation, went around or walked together quickly in large groups. I had been through some rough neighbourhoods before but this was an entire town dedicated to that sort of environment. Then again while sometimes things would become tight at home I had never had to see what it was to truly go hungry, I never had to know what it was like fearing that my dad would never come home. Compared to my water tribe companions and even the occupants of this town I had lived a life of luxury. For the first time I found myself grateful for what I had been given even though it had been taken away so rapidly.

"Earth nation! Fire nation! As long as bargains are your inclination you're welcome here. Don't be shy, come on by." I grimaced and turned to look at the pirate ship and the pirate that in a few moments would be convincing us to enter. There we would find a stolen waterbending scroll that Katara would steal from them... and the rest they say is history.

"You four, you look like world travelling types. Are you interested in some exotic curios?"

"No thank you." I stated pointedly at the same time Aang zipped up to the man.

"Sure!" He exclaimed before asking, "what are curios?"

"Nicknacks," I replied in a bored tone, "baubles, small things that take up space and have little to no use. Items which we don't have the money to spend on- Aang?" To my annoyance Aang was already halfway up the plank to the ship, the pirate with him. Sokka and Katara didn't look anymore impressed then I was but we hurried up the wooden board anyway.

Inside hundreds of useless items lay on shelves or hung from the ceiling. A few instruments caught my eye, one of which I recognized as a sugi horn. Turning I noticed Katara examining the stone monkey with ruby eyes and necklace while Sokka was perusing their collection of weapons. Aang was talking to the captain of the ship, holding Momo close to him. I found myself wondering when the pirate captain had arrived.

"Look at this Aang." Katara called from beside a metal rack. Inside several scrolls were stored, the one Katara had pulled out was blue with the distinct symbol of the water tribe on one end. I ignored Aang and Katara cooing over the scroll and picked out one of my own. This one too had interesting decoration on the ends, red tassells. I gently rolled the scroll open. Curious I began to read.

_Day one hundred fifty_

_Training is brutal, especially the few of us who cannot firebend. The generals are merciless, pushing us night and day to become stronger, faster, more resilient. At the same time the other troops break our moral, repeating over and over in various ways that those who cannot bend are little more than fodder. It disturbs me to see this side of my country. What happened to the great and just nation that we were raised to believe was spreading prosperity? My uncle told me that the suffering of a few villages was well worth our cause but I am beginning to see that as I lie. Everyone is suffering from this war. Over fifty years it has gone on and here, among the soldiers I can see the toll this war is inflicting. Generals are long weary from battle, many families have lost both their sons and daughters, leaving children orphaned only for the child to die in the same pointless cause as their parents. I am coming to believe that the only reason this war continues on is that the royal family wishes to continue in Fire Lord Sozin's footsteps. I am beginning to realize that I am going to die, and that my death will have no purpose. I saddens me that the Fire Lord doesn't care for how much is own people are suffering from his stubbornness. _

I stared at the scroll before picking it up. Aang was 'bartering' with the captain but I could care less.

"How much for this scroll." I asked, dropping it to the counter. The pirate and Aang both looked at me in surprise. The pirate captain raised a single eyebrow at my choice.

"That?" He picked up the scroll and examined piece before setting it down on the counter.

"Fifty copper pieces." He stated. I raised an eyebrow.

"It's old and covered in dust. Obviously no one has been interested in it for a long time. Ten copper pieces." The captain laughed.

"Are you joking? I have never seen such a fine example of fire nation script work. Forty copper pieces." I looked at him incredulously.

"Fine example of script work yes, but what is the value in something you can't read? I say it's worth twelve pieces."

"If it has so little value why are you interested?" The captain challenged, "Thirty pieces."

"If it has so much value why are you dropping the money value so much each time. Fourteen."

"You insult me. Twenty."

"Fifteen. That's my last offer." I replied sharply. We were silent for a long time before the captain nodded.

"Deal." I grinned and turned to Katara. She looked surprised but handed the money over. I deposited the chosen amount on the counter and then pocketed the scroll.

"A pleasure doing business with you." With that I followed a very nervous looking Katara off the ship, Sokka and Aang right behind me.

"Why'd you buy that scroll?" Sokka asked me softly as we began to walk away.

"I was interested in it. I think it is going to teach me a lot." I replied lightly, "I'm sorry if I spent some of our money. I'll help make it up later. Okay?" Sokka frowned but nodded.

"Hey you! Get back here!" I spun along with my companions to see at least a dozen pirates swing down from their ship.

"Look who changed their minds." Aang said with a grin. It quickly turned out that he had spoken before he should have.

* * *

We somehow managed to escape without actually flying away. Now we were back at the waterfall. Everything was peaceful again. Katara and Aang were looking over the waterbending scroll, Sokka was sharpening his boomerang and I was reading the scroll. I had begun reading from the beginning this time. Silently I thanked the deities for giving me the ability to read though I had a sneaking suspicion that Agni had done more then I had asked. After all, the pirate captain had said that this was a fine example of fire nation script yet I had been able to read it. Then again I also hadn't specified what language I wanted to be able to read.

_Day 1_

_Today is my sixteenth birthday-_

"I just want to try this one move first then it's all yours." I looked up Katara distracting me from my reading. She had placed the waterbending scroll on a dead stump and was now trying to learn the moves just by looking at them.

"The single water whip. Looks doable." I sighed and went back to reading.

_My mother gave me this scroll so that I could write my thoughts and experiences. She told me since I'm an adult now I deserved something more. I honestly didn't expect this much. My mother scrimped and saved for months to buy a quality scroll like this of that I have no doubt. I'm just a simple farm boy-_

"OW!" I jumped and turned to notice Katara rubbing a red spot on her forehead. I chuckled under my breath while Sokka laughed out loud. Katara sent a sharp glare at her brother.

"What's so funny?"

"You deserved that." Sokka replied before turning to Aang, "She's only interested in teaching herself." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. Was it so hard to read in peace. I was really enjoying my gift and now it seemed like I wouldn't be able to get a moment of peace.

_I'm just a simple farm boy who doesn't have much to give. The fact I can read and write is impressive all on its own. I can't bend but I know how to work the earth so it produces the best produce. I'm proud of that ability and I'm proud of our small patch of land. Most of all I love my country. The fire nation is a beautiful place and while our village is poor I'm okay with that. maybe the reason my mother gave this to me was to help me gain courage to approach a certain girl who I've admired for some time now- _

A loud screech distracted me again. I grimaced and rolled up the scroll. I'd have to read it later. Aang looked at Katara who looked like she was going to start tearing her hair out of her head.

"Why can't I get this stupid move!"

"You'll get it." Aang comforted, "you've got to shift your weight through the stances." I winced as Aang pulled off a perfect water whip on his first try. It proved to much for Katara. Spinning the fourteen year old tore a strip into the twelve-year-old airbender.

"Shut your air hole! believe it or not your infinite wisdom gets a little old sometimes! Why don't we just throw the scroll away since you're so naturally gifted!"

"Katara!" I barked. Distracting everyone. Katara looked at me angrily.

"What!" I pointed to Aang, my face stern. Katara turned and froze when she saw the heartbroken look on Aang's face.

"Katara," I said softly approaching.

"I'm sorry Aang." Katara apologized sincerely. I wasn't done though.

"Katara, I understand that this is frustrating but you have to remember some things." I pointed out, "Aang has already mastered a bending form, plus he has been waterbending for centuries remember? Air is also the element closest to water so it will be the easiest for him to master. You don't have any of those advantages." Katara nodded solemnly which caused me to smile.

"Now go and apologize to Momo." I added softly. While Katara accepted Aang's apology and apologized to the poor lemur I went back to my reading. I was going to finish the first entry today.

_\- a certain girl who I've admired for some time now. Hopefully once I'm brave enough to talk to her she'll accept. I don't know when that will be but I do know that I'll have to speak up soon. Already several other boys my age have been pursuing her. So far though she's turned them all down. _

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night, not knowing what had woken me up. It was strange, normally once I was asleep it was impossible to wake me up other then naturally. But it was too dark for me to have slept as long as I needed and no one else was awake. Groaning I rubbed my eyes and sat up. almost instantly I realized that someone was gone. Katara's bedroll was empty. I felt exhausted. Tiredly I sat up and stumbled out of bed. Tiredly I stumbled in the general direction that I knew Katara had gone in.

The river looked calm and tranquil from where I was standing.

"Katara?" I called, looking around confused. I was sure she would have been around here somewhere.

"Looking for someone?" I spun to find myself face to face with a familiar golden eyed prince.

"Zuko." I muttered. I was suddenly wide awake.

"Where's Katara." I demanded sharply, glaring at the scarred prince. Zuko's lip curled and he grabbed one of my wrists tightly and dragged me away.

He stopped in front of the pirates and an elderly man who I recognized right away as general Iroh. Katara was bound to a thin sapling not far away. To my surprise Zuko dragged me away from Katara and toward his uncle.

"Uncle, this is Maddi, the girl I told you about." I blinked in surprise. Zuko had told Iroh about me. To say I was flattered was an understatement. Iroh had been one of my favourite characters in the series so for him to know of me was awe inspiring.

"It is an honour general Iroh." I said quickly bowing deeply, I tried to mimic the way Aang had bowed in the third season. I had done it often enough for fun or teasing my sister and cousins. I fumbled then blushed deeply.

"Sorry, I'm tired." I explained, reaching up to rub sleep out of my eyes. Zuko frowned before barking at me.

"Where is the Avatar?" I shot a glare at Zuko.

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again Zuko. I'm not against you but I'm not going to just tell you where Aang is. I'm friends with Aang I'm not going to just tell you where he is." Zuko snarled and grabbed my wrist again.

"It was an honour to met a fine young lady such as you." I turned despite Zuko trying to pull me away and smiled at Iroh.

"And it is an honour for me to have met the man I have idolized so long." Iroh eyed me sceptically before speaking once again.

"I am hardly worthy of idolization though I am pleased to hear that you think so highly of me." I smiled giddily and nodded, allowing Zuko to drag me away. That short conversation had put me into an emotional high and I was unlikely to come down off cloud nine for a while now.

Several hours later Sokka and Aang joined Katara and I in 'captivity'. Katara was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry Aang, this is all my fault." Aang shook his head, already the boy had a crush on Katara. Not that I could blame him, Katara was very pretty.

"No Katara it's not."

"Yeah it kind of is." I tried to hold back a snigger at Iroh's reply. As truthful as it was, all it would succeed to do was anger Katara. I remained quiet and simply watched as the events I knew would occur played out. Sokka tricked the pirates into betraying Zuko which caused the two groups to fight. During the fight Katara and I were freed from our awkward position on the sapling by Momo. We both bolted away from the tree and the fighting, heading towards the pirates ship. A few seconds later Sokka and Aang joined us. The ship wasn't going to move anytime soon, it was extremely heavy.

"It's no use, it would take a heard of elephant lions to move this ship!" Sokka cried, exhausted.

"Or two waterbenders." Aang added, sharing a smile with Katara. Nodding the two began waterbending in sync. While they did that Sokka and I climbed aboard. Sokka took the helm while I readied my fans.

It happened faster than I expected. The pirates somehow knew how to use Zuko's ship (or Zuko's little river boat was faster then theirs) and I found myself fending off the pirates. My fans were moving as fast as I could make them as I battled the pirates boarding. I knocked two overboard and another two were knocked off by two different bending forms. Katara's excited squeal of 'I did it!' rang in my ears while I ran past her to start fighting a pirate who was trying to detain Sokka.

After the pirate was knocked into the water I turned. Katara and Aang were bending furiously, creating two whirlpools to keep us from going over the waterfall. In the excitement I had nearly forgotten about Zuko's little ship which quickly drove into our own. We were thrown from the deck of the ship, over the waterfall... and were caught by Appa. As the giant animal flew away I took a deep breath and leaned back. I was more than ready for a quiet week of plain travel.

* * *

_A/N Sorry, I am so sorry. I know this story is late but I had to pack for the move... by the time Saturday came around I realized I had only written about half of the chapter I needed... Well I did warn you guys that updates would be interesting during this time. Anyway in two weeks the move should be completed. Interestingly enough this chapter just seemed to fit by placing it the day after Spirits. Anyway I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Let me know what you think._

_Princess Kassie Out. _


	15. Meeting Jet

Chapter 15  
Meeting Jet

If only I had gotten that week of boring travel I had wanted. In actuality it was only five days, a 'work week' that I had gotten off. I had spent much of that time relaxing and reading. I kept the contents of the scroll hidden to my friends though they knew it was fire nation in origin and I liked studying it I pretended to be just as stumped with the language as they were. It appeared that while all three knew how to speak and read the common language as well as their own I seemed to be the only one proficient in reading fire nation fluently. I wondered why Agni had given me more than I had asked but I decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

We had stopped for lunch on the fifth day in a beautiful clearing. All around us the trees were red and gold. We were deep in the throes of autumn, no signs of green remained on the leaves. We had been running from winter but it was beginning to overtake us. There was no doubt in my mind that winter would be in full swing

We had just finished packing up and were about to climb onto Appa when Sokka interrupted.

"Nope. We're not riding Appa." I turned to look at him incredulously.

"Why not?" Aang asked. I knew the reason but I was going to do my darnedest so that they'd listen to me.

"Think about it. How do you think the fire nation and Zuko always find us so easily. We're riding a giant fluffy monster with an arrow on his head!" He threw his hands into the air intro emphasize his point. Appa rumbled unhappily at Sokka causing Aang to pat him and comfort the two ton bison with the words.

"Don't worry buddy. Sokka's just jealous because he doesn't have an arrow."

"Sokka." I stated, catching the water tribe boy's attention, "Appa gets us where we need to go faster. Without him we would still be on Kyoshi island. He's the reason we're ahead of the fire nation in the first place." Sokka paused to think about that for a moment before he shook his head.

"I understand what you're saying but I don't agree. Just let us try today and if it doesn't go well we never have to do it again." I sighed but nodded. It was beginning to look like the only way they would follow my suggestions was if they knew of my 'ability'. Was I willing to do that? To tell them about what I knew?

Three hours later I was getting frustrated enough to pull my hair out. Katara and Aang were acting like little kids on a long road trip and it was grating on my nerves. Sokka was equally frustrated, probably more so since Katara and Aang kept making jibes about his instincts.

"Maybe Sokka's instincts could carry it for you." Katara suggested. I grimaced as Aang piped up.

"Hey Sokka's instincts would you-"

"I get it!" Sokka barked, causing me to jump in surprise. Sighing, Sokka turned.

"Listen, we're all tired and fed up from today. Next clearing we'll stop for the night. Okay?" We all nodded. I couldn't blame them, it was tiring to be walking for so long when we were used to Appa.  
Sokka pushed through a wall of greenery and stopped. Katara and Aang followed after him.

"Sokka what's wrong-" I froze, staring at the group of fire nation soldiers who had all sat down to dinner in the same clearing Sokka had decided we were going to eat in. Horror washed over me as I suddenly realized I had forgotten this episode. The strange thing was that Momo had never gotten caught by the fire nation traps... why hadn't that happened?

Action exploded out of the corner of my eye and suddenly everyone was fighting. I was quickly lost in the battle. Parry, slash, jab, parry, slash, jab. Then my opponent was gone, laying on the ground by my feet. I stared at him blankly. I hadn't injured him at all, there was no reason why a fire nation soldier would just be lying there with glassy eyes. I quickly looked away. I didn't want to know what had happened. Pushing my mind off the subject I turned to help someone or find another opponent in time to see a boy I recognized as Jet slice into a man's arm with his hooked blades. My stomach churned and I looked away again. I didn't want to hear the screams of pain, I didn't want to know that these soldiers were dying because of a mistake.

The battle was over as quickly as it began. To my surprise only four or five men actually had died. The rest had taken off into the woods.

"You're a good fighter." I jumped and looked down to see a familiar boy with a huge helmet half falling off. I instantly recognized him as the Duke

"Um thanks... I think." I said. I turned slightly to see Jet conversing with Katara, Sokka and Aang. Walking over I narrowed my eyes at the boys and crossing my arms over my chest. If I had a list of the characters I disliked most Jet would be up near the top, right behind Yue's fiance and Jong-Jong. Of course that was my own personal opinion, no one else.

"I'm Jet," the rouge introduced himself with a flair, "and these are my freedom fighters, Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, the Duke and Pipsqueak." As each Freedom Fighter heard their name they would wave or turn to look before going back to work.

"And you guys are?" Jet asked Katara with a sly look. I had no doubt that Jet is well aware of his good looks.

"I'm Katara, my brother Sokka. That's Aang he's the Avatar. And that's Pala or Maddi." Katara introduced. I sigh and walk past them, deciding on a fire nation tent I want to check out. I wasn't the only one inside Smellerbee was packing up the weapons mostly spears and pikes with the occasional sword. It was out of the corner of my eye that I saw the weapon.

It was a bow made from plain wood, undecorated. Beside it a small quiver of arrows. Curiously I picked it up. It felt nice but foreign. I had never had held a weapon even remotely similar to this. Smellerbee looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You're holding it wrong." I looked down at the weapon and blushingly flipped it over. Smellerbee smiled lightly which looked strange to me.

"I need a long range weapon... could I possibly convince you to teach me?" I asked her. Smellerbee paused and looked at me, a considering expression on her face. Finally she shrugged.

"If you guys are staying I don't see why not." I beamed, my fans were useful but a long range weapon was could make all the difference in a real battle.

* * *

I had to admit, albeit grudgingly that Jet's tree house was beautiful, especially in fall colours. We had all gone our separate ways after Jet had shown around. I didn't know where Katara and Sokka were but I had seen Aang every so often, running around like the entire place was a giant toy. Grunting I pulled the string taught before letting lose the arrow. It flew a few feet before bouncing off the tree I had been aiming for.

"Need a hand?" I turned. Smellerbee was standing there, arms crossed with a look of amusement. I gave a guilty smile and nodded, moving to the side. Smellerbee took the bow and notched an arrow. In a second the thin stick was deeply imbedded in the tree. My mouth dropped in shock if this was how good Smellerbee was how good was Longshot?

"Longshot taught me," she explained, "I've never seen anyone who is as good as he is."

"Good enough to be a Yu Yan Archer?" Smellerbee stopped and looked at me with unbridled anger.

"Don't you dare mention them again." I jumped. The tone in Smellerbee's voice was shocking there was no doubt in my mind that I had insulted her somehow.

"Are…? Oh. I wasn't meaning to compare him to anyone fire nation," I back peddled, "I was just saying he has to be as good even better then the legendary archers if he taught you." She nodded but there was still suspicion in her eyes.

Four hours of tiger opus teaching later I had finally mastered holding and stringing the bow as well as notching the arrows. Smellerbee said I already had good aim so I just had to work on that. After Smellerbee I worked on the

"Pala? What are you doing?" I turned to see Aang watching me with interest.

"Practising a new skill." I replied with a grunt as I let the arrow loose.

"I'll never be as good as Longshot but I still can use the skill to help us out. You never know when something like archery will come in handy." I replied to the young bender.

"Sounds cool but Katara wanted you to come back. She was worried because it was getting late." I looked up at the sky, it was turning red.

"Besides, Jet is giving a feast." Aang added coyly. I sighed and nodded, following Aang to dinner.

I remained quiet during dinner and bit my tongue despite the fact I wanted scream at Jet for what he was saying. As soon as it was over I stormed into our quarters. I didn't want anything to do with this.

* * *

_I have been training among the other fire nation recruits for over a week now and the days are blurring into one. I miss my mother and I miss Sui. I wonder how they are doing. Somehow this diary has remained hidden, in some cases I swear the spirits are on my side and it is they who allow me to keep this small memory of home with me. I pray to Agni every night begging her to keep my family safe and that I may return home to plow the solid earth. Here they tell us stories during our drills of the horrific deeds earthbenders have committed again fire nation soldiers like us. They tell us that earthbending is not true bending for the earth itself is unmoving, yet earthbending in and out of itself moves the rock. Reality seems to vanish in front of my eyes until I can't tell if I'm awake or dreaming. I know that the others are feeling it as well. I am afraid that I will die. I hear whispers of how soldiers who can't bend are always the first to die. They never make it. I fear the rumours are true. What is the point in choosing non-benders for battle if all we do is die? It is the will of the fire lord? Is it the will of Agni that we kill all who are not of us? Sometimes I wonder if my life before now was a dream and this... this waking horror is my reality and will be until the day I enter the spirit world._

* * *

I woke up with a panicked scream, images of dead men floating in the dark behind my eyelids. I could not sleep. Sleep would mean remembering and I don't want to remember. I look around. No one else has woken up. They all sleep peacefully, their dreams undisturbed. I grabbed my bow and arrows and crept outside. The air was chilled and frost sprinkled the ground, covering the wooden boards with slippery crystal. I was careful where I walked, my eyes fixed firmly on my feet. I find the tree that I had been practising on yesterday and begin to practice again. Each time I let go of the string a familiar twang rang in my ears. Then there was the thud of the arrow impacting in wood.

I don't stop shooting until the quiver is empty of arrows, than I pull them from the tree and begin again. I only stopped once my arm ached and burned from the effort and my cheeks were cold and numb. Than I packed up and crawled back into bed and worked on my reading. I still don't know the name of the soldier who wrote this note. He never mentioned it. I supposed it makes sense, this was a personal diary only meant for his eyes and obviously he knows who he is.

"Maddi, get up." I turned to see Katara standing over my bed. I sighed and flipped over, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

"What's up?"

"What... what do you do when you like someone?" I blinked and sat up. Katara was asking advice of what to do when you... she wasn't serious was she?

"Katara..." I stumbled before pinching the bridge of my nose, "are you talking about Jet." Katara looked away, blushing deeply.

"Oh boy." I groaned. "Katara... I wouldn't. I don't trust Jet... He's..." I trailed off when I saw how upset she looked.

"Katara..." I looked away. I couldn't say it. I couldn't tell her and I couldn't expose Jet either. I couldn't do that but her broken heart at the end of this episode... I was torn. What choice should I make. With a deep breath I made a compromise.

"If you really care for someone you need to tell him, you can't just expect him to know... Talk to him... but personally I believe that a relationship won't work unless you are more then just romantically inclined. You need to be able to trust each other, partners or friends who you have a romantic inclination for are the best in my opinion. My own boyfriend and I were close friends as well as romantically involved and it worked out well... but Katara... I personally don't think Jet is the right person. I can't make that choice for you but... just don't give him your heart right away. Get to know him first." Katara frowned then smiled brightly and left. I collapsed onto the bed. I hoped that she would be wiser this time.

That night I lay on my back, pretending to be asleep when I heard the familiar sound of someone moving in their sleep. Turning my head I opened one eye a crack. Sokka was sitting up, staring at his boomerang which lay in his lap. After a second I sat up.

"Is there something wrong?"

"There's something going on here. I know it." He replied before looking up at me, "What do you think?"

"I agree with you, Jet reeks of something... but..."

"But Katara likes him." I blinked and looked at Sokka in surprise.

"I'm not stupid, I know my sister and for some reason she likes Jet. Is that why you're hiding out here? Because you don't want to upset her? Because that's a stupid excuse." I blinked at Sokka, dumbfounded. I wasn't used to him being this frank.

"You've been pulling away since the crescent island, especially after you got that scroll. You're using it to hide from us. You're not fooling me. So what's wrong?" I shook my head. How could Sokka know the sort of difficulty I was going through. I was still trying to decide whether I should outright tell them what I knew and risk the future of the world or to keep it quite, act as I saw fit and then tell them after and putting an end to our friendship. I didn't want either. They were all I had in this world and I knew I was being selfish but I didn't want to risk that. On the other hand telling them while it would change the world like I wanted to I feared it would change the world in a way that couldn't be salvageable. My own mistakes, the mistakes of one person could be fixed but if my companions acted on my knowledge and did something that could harm the outcome... I wouldn't know what to do. This was to much pressure for one person.

"I... I can't tell you Sokka." There was silence for a while. Fearing the worst I turned, only to notice Sokka had clambered out of bed and was staring at the door fiercely. I turned my head slightly. There were noises coming from outside. I scrambled out of bed quickly and fell into step behind Sokka. Peering outside we saw Jet and some of the other freedom fighters loading up the blasting jelly which eerily looked like plastic explosive into a large cart. Sharing a look Sokka and I quickly slip out of the hut and follow.

Just like in the episode we were led to the edge of a cliff after the wagon broke away from Jet, Longshot, Smellerbee and Pipsqueak. The sun was just beginning to rise while Jet set off Longshot.

"Remember, don't shoot until you hear the signal." Longshot nodded and walked off. All was silent for a moment. I slowly eased myself down into a more comfortable position, my back was aching and once again my ears stung from the cold.

I cried out as suddenly I was pulled up out of the bushes. Sokka right beside me. Pipsqueak held us both, one in each hand like kittens.

"Sokka I'm glad you decided to join us, and you brought your hidden little friend. I haven't seen a lot of her." I glared at Jet.

"Trust me, I've already seen way to much of you."

"I know what you're doing Jet." Sokka snapped, "I know your plans. I know how you lied to Katara and Aang about the forest fire." Jet frowned, no it was more of a smirk.

* * *

"I was hoping you would have an open mind Sokka. But I can't let you warn Katara and Aang. Take them for a walk... a long walk."

I stayed quiet as Pipsqueak and Smellerbee shoved Sokka and I along the trail. I was deep in thought. What was the reason I had been hiding myself? Why had I been avoiding my companions? Had I been avoiding them? I wasn't sure. I jumped when Sokka suddenly dodged out to the left. I quickly followed, slipped just out of the reach of Smellerbee's hand. I noticed a pile of leaves with a handful of red berries. I knew what was under those.

"Sokka between the red!" I barked praying that he would get the message. The water tribe boy nodded but didn't look back and dodged between them. I followed after him as well. Smellerbee and Pipsqueak didn't. I whooped as I heard the sound of metal snapping closed like a bear trap. Sokka turned with surprise.

"How did you-?"

"No time." I barked, running right past him, "We need to get to the village. Now!"

Sokka ran beside me, keeping pace as I prayed that we would be on time, just like in the series.

I was breathing hard by the time Sokka and I reached the bottom of the forest. I slowed down, gasping slightly. Sokka stopped, noticing that I wasn't keeping pace with him anymore.

"Pala we can't stop yet." He cried. I nodded and we took off running again. My legs burned but I wasn't going to stop until we had those villagers safe. Beaming I turned it into a race, mentally convincing myself of a crowd going wild. Energy exploded from within m as my competitive nature which hadn't had a reason to surface before sprang into being.

I laughed as I outdistanced Sokka then cried in shock as he suddenly was sprinting past me. We raced that way straight into the village and skidded to a stop in the centre of town.

"Who are you?" I turned to see a fire nation soldier pointing a spear at my head. My blood froze as I tried to think of what to say. Something told me that 'Hi we're not against the fire nation and we're here to save you' wasn't going to cut it.

"Listen to me. We're here to warn you. Jet and his thugs are going to flood the town." I smiled and took a step back, allowing Sokka his moment to shine. He deserved it.

"That child who lives in the trees?" one soldier asked, scoffing, "Besides who's to say that you're not with him."

"Jet is dangerous. And I do not support him." Sokka stated, "We came here to warn you that he's filling the dam as we speak and in a few moments he'll blow it up."

"And-"

"Trust what he says." A familiar looking elderly man in fire nation robes said. It took me a moment before I recognized him as the man Sokka saved from Jet. The soldier who had been giving us the trouble opened his mouth to speak before closing it. Finally he spoke.

"Fine."the soldier started bellowing orders at everyone. The townspeople started gathering together. I watched in fascination as just like that the entire town was ready to leave. I fell into step beside Sokka and the man both taking up the rear of the procession.

"That was amazing." I commented, "How did you get the soldier to listen to you?" The elderly man snorted.

"Simple, really. I'm his banker."

* * *

_I am once again sorry that this chapter came in so late. To make up for it though the next chapter is going to be really amazing. It should show up next Sunday. After that updates should be regular again. _  
_Hope you like the next chapter. _  
_Princess Kassie Out_


	16. Confrontations

Chapter 16  
Confrontations

Breathe in.

I gently stroked Katara's hair as the girl sobbed, heartbroken. As soon as we had gotten far enough away Katara had started crying. I hadn't realized just how badly she had fallen for Jet and now I was regretting the advice or lack of it that I had given her back in the tree house.

Breathe out.

I stormed away from the Gan Jin tribe, furious. I could not believe their audacity. They completely brushed off what I said and then called me ignorant. Snarling I kicked a rock, sending it skittering over the deserted ground. I hated this. I hated being like this, I deserved more respect then that. They had no right. No right.

Breathe In.

"I know you have your secrets and you know what, I'm okay with that but the second you feel that you can tell us let me know. We all care for you and we all trust you. I just would like to see that you trust us." He told at me softly.

Breathe out.

"Prithvi," I called, "I need to talk to you."

"I do not believe I said that I would come when you called." I opened my eyes and looked up. Prithvi stood above me appearing completely solid. I quickly stood from the stony ground I was sitting with my legs crossed. Wincing, I realized that they had fallen sleep as the feeling of pins and needles assaulted them.

"You just did." I pointed out as I brushed dirt off my legs, my face twisting in annoyance. Prithvi glared at me.

"The purpose of mediation is to clear your mind," he added, ignoring my statement, "not to go over everything that has happened in the last week." This turn it was my turn to glare. Prithvi sighed.

"Why did you call me Madison?" He asked. I took a deep breath. Better get this over.

"I have some questions that I need answered." I admitted, my eyes taking in the small clearing I had been sitting in.

"No." I paused then turned to look at Prithvi.

"What do you mean no?" I snapped, "I have every right to know considering you warned me about him." Prithvi shrugged.

"There are rules. If a spirit breaks them the punishment is severe."

"Aren't You one of the spirits that would discipline the rule breakers? Who would argue with you?" I barked. My anger growing. I wanted answers.

"There is a level of accountability among even the stronger spirits." Prithvi stated icily. "I cannot tell you more than I already have when it comes to Lung." I grimaced. All Prithvi had told me about Lung was that the spirit wasn't to be trusted and that he was Prithvi's brother. Not a lot of information to work from.

"Why do you suddenly want to know so much about Lung?" Prithvi asked me. "Are you truly interested in him or is it something else that you wanted?"

"I've been…" I trailed off, unsure of how to articulate my feelings.

"Noticing that there isn't as much change as you expected?" Prithvi asked. He still hadn't moved from his position. I was beginning to wonder if it was a trait of his to never move.

"That's one of the things. I thought making change would be easy but I've been struggling with it."

"That tends to happen and you life is only going to get even harder from now." I frowned and crossed arms.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Prithvi rolled his eyes.

"Spirits can see human's memories. That hasn't changed with you. We know your past we even know the future of the world as well as you do."

"Then why can't you change the world!" I cried. "Why do you need me at all!"

"Spirits are not allowed to interfere. We cannot take action. The only spirit who can is Ravva and she can only interfere with the current avatar. No one else." Prithvi stated.

"So you use me to make the changes you can-"

"I do not." Prithvi snapped, "I know better. Loopholes have a tenacity of biting the one who had the nerve to use it in the first place. However some spirits are not as wise and would use you to make changes they wanted to see." My brow furrowed in confusion. I had a suspicion of who the particular spirit Prithvi was talking about was.

"Lung?"

"Him and others like him."

"Why would they want to use me?" I demanded, frustration building.

"I have already told you that. I am sorry Madison, I can tell you no more." Prithvi turned and then he was gone. I stared at the place the deity had been standing, with the distinct impression that I wanted to dropkick him across the planet. My lips curled as I stalked out of the clearing, I was furious and I just wanted to beat something into a pulp and at that moment I didn't care what it would be.

"Pala are you okay?" I turned to see Katara looking at me. I shrugged.

"Fine. Just frustrated. Where are you going?" Katara looked up from the bag she had been adjusting on her shoulder.

"Going into town, we're out of food." I frowned, but nodded. Running out of food tended to happen when you had a twelve year old boy, a fourteen year old girl and another boy of sixteen. All three were at that age when they needed to eat a lot so that their bodies would keep growing. While Aang was used to the occasional fasting which is why he had done so well back during our time at the great divide. Back there it was only my anger at frustration that kept me going. Although that might have been because the only ones who went without food was the guide, Aang and I.

"I'm coming along." I told her firmly. Katara smiled.

"That's what Sokka and Aang said." I chuckled and nodded.

"Well let's get going then. Okay?"

* * *

"I think this melon is rotten." Katara pointed out to the seller as she held the watermelon up for inspection.

"It's not rotten."

"It's making a swishing sound when I do this." Katara insisted, moving the melon side to side. The saleswoman snorted.

"That's all the ripe juices swishing about."

"Actually that's a sign that it is in the early stages of decomposition." I corrected from where I was inspecting a pomegranate, "A melon that's properly ripe should still be firm enough to make no noise." The saleswoman glared at me, apparently she had seen Katara as a good way to get rid of the fruit that had passed its expiry date.

"It's alright." Katara stated quickly, "We're out of money anyway." A shiver of cold went up my spine. I recognized that sentence and hearing it caused a shiver to run down my spine. I knew this part of the story. It was the storm.

"Great, no food and no money." Sokka complained. I shivered. Autumn was fully set in and there was a distinct chill in the air.

"Well how about you find a job." Katara suggested tersely. I knew she probably didn't really mean it but she had a point. We needed money and not from that fisherman.

"I'll do it." I quickly spoke up. I wasn't going to let Sokka get on the same ship as that old man. We'd go and save him but I was not going to endanger anyone in the meanwhile.

"Don't be ridiculous I can do it."

"Well you're not" I replied in a brisk manner. Sokka shot me a glare.

"Pala, a word. Alone."

Sokka dragged me away from everyone out of hearing range before looking me dead straight in the eyes.

"I've told you before I'm okay with you keeping secrets but I'm going to do what I think is best. If you know better you have to tell me why first." I fell silent. What was I going to tell Sokka? What could I tell him? I stared at Sokka blankly. I had no idea what to say.

"Sokka, I..." Sokka frowned and turned to leave.

"Wait." He turned.

"I don't know how to start and even if I did... I don't think anyone would believe me." There was the strangest look in Sokka's eyes as he nodded.

"It's okay. I promise I'll listen and keep an open mind." He grinned, the same smile he used when he was about to pull out the sarcasm.

"I've seen the avatar be resurrected, ended up in the spirit world and been more than halfway across the world on a giant fluffy monster. Nothing can surprise me anymore."

"I'm not from here." My breath caught. Was I really going to tell Sokka. An image flashed in front of my eyes of Sokka with a betrayed expression on his face which quickly shifted to anger before he left.

"Of course you're not. You're from Kangaroo Island."

"No..." I was beginning to shake. It was now or never, I had to let them know.

"I'm not from Kangaroo Island. I've been lying. I've been lying since I met you and Katara." I looked up from where I had been staring at my feet. Sokka's face was blank as he took that in. I quickly averted my gaze to the side. I didn't want to see the betrayal on his face.

"Not everything. I mean I've told you guys the truth about my family, just... some of it was altered and some things I let you believe that you decided yourself and stuff like that. I never lied about how I felt about-"

"Pala, calm down. You're ranting" I looked back at him. His eyebrows were pressed against his blue eyes. Still, all I saw was sincerity.

"I know you were keeping your secrets for a reason. I just don't know what that reason was." I nodded, licking my lips.

"So if not from Kangaroo Island... where do you come from?" I took a deep breath. I was almost crippled by the fear invading my very bones.

"I'm not from here." I repeated. I couldn't think of anything else to say. It was too hard. How on earth was I supposed to say that I had been from another world where this one was just a story? Why was it so easy for all those fictional characters that people made up to say so?

"You're not from the earth kingdom?" I winced. Sokka wasn't going to guess unless I told him straight out. I didn't blame him. No one would instantly assume that someone had come from another world.

"I'm... not from this... world." I winced on the last word. I didn't know what Sokka would do. It was then I noticed how still the air was. Not a gust of wind, not the slightest movement in the trees. Not that I had expected anything less, a storm was coming.

"You're from the spirit world." In hindsight I realized that believing I was a spirit was the next logical step for Sokka to take.

"No, well, no not really. I passed through there on my way here apparently but I don't remember it. I come from a world where bending is a story. A legend. It wasn't real. Or at least most people didn't think it was real. And I'm rambling again." I blushed deeply, embarrassed. Once again I looked up at Sokka, he was shocked. His mouth hung open and his eyes bulged.

"Another world?" He asked incredulously. Then something else occurred to him.

"Another world... where we're the legends?" I nodded mutely, as one hand subconsciously reached up and began stroking my necklace. I stayed quiet as Sokka reached the next conclusion.

"You know what's going to happen. You know our future because you heard it in the legends of your people." I stared at Sokka in shock. I had known he was smart, brilliant even but this was farther then I would have ever guessed. It was now my turn to stare. After a moment I nodded again. I swallowed and sighed.

"That's why I didn't want to let anyone know." I admitted, my body shaking.

"I was scared. If I told someone then either they'd think I was crazy. Or you'd stop respecting me as a friend and companion and all I would be is your Virgil in the Inferno or someone would spill and let someone know and then our enemies would start going after me to and-"

"Sokka! Pala! Aang's run away!" I jumped and spun to see Katara looking up at us, eyes wide in fear. My heart stopped. I was still breathing fast, reeking of panic but my heart had stopped. Aang was gone and I knew exactly why. While Sokka and I had talked the old woman and her husband had come up and just like in the series, the fisherman insulted Aang just like he had in the series.

"Come on, we need to go." I stated briskly, "Aang needs us and we have to get to him before the storm sets in."

* * *

The ride on Appa was awkward. No one talked. Sokka was thinking over what I had said and I was fearful of what his reaction would be. Would I just become a guide? A cheat sheet for their life or would they still be able to look at me as their friend. As if I was no different, only that I had some wisdom that could help them along the way like Roku or Iroh. Katara was focused on steering Appa and looking for Aang.

We found the cave that Aang was hiding in easily enough, but not before it began to rain. We ran inside to see Aang sitting with his back to the entrance, clearly upset.

"I'm sorry I ran away." He murmured softly. I stayed back, letting Katara give the assurances.

"It's okay, that fisherman was way out of line."

"No he wasn't." Aang replied, not even looking at us. Sokka shot me a worried glance but I ignored it. Instead I walked past the three of them, into the back of the cave. There was a lot of twigs and sticks and here and there, dried moss. Good tools for starting a fire. I stopped when that came to my mind. Back at home I had gone camping but it had never been as far from civilization as this was and it had never involved surviving off the very land itself as Sokka and Katara and even Aang had taught me to do.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

I picked up a bundle of the wood and dropped it in a pile in front of Aang and Katara. Sokka sat to the side slightly, seeming deep in thought. While Katara and Aang talked about the dream, the nightmare Aang had last night I set up the small fire which would reduce the cold and damp.

After the fire was started and Appa had joined us inside the cave Aang began his story. I knew it well. While he talked I mentally drifted away, my mind going to another story that was ongoing at this time. The story Iroh was telling the crew of Zuko's ship at this very moment.

"The world needed me and I wasn't there!" Aang shouted, pulling me from the images in my mind with a start.

"Aang, you're being to hard on yourself. Even if you hadn't run away you might have just died like the others." Katara reasoned.

"You don't know that."

"You know, normally I'd agree with you but I think my sister is right this time." Sokka pointed out, "Maybe somethings have reasons for happening."I looked up at Sokka and allowed myself to smile. Something told me that he wasn't just talking to Aang. I took a deep breath. My turn.

"What's done is done, Aang. You can't change what's already happened. You can only change what is going to happen. Try to think as every day you wake up as a second chance to right what you got wrong the day before." Aang smiled at us lightly and nodded.

"Come on, let's get going."

"Help!" I jumped at the shout. An elderly woman dressed in a heavy rain poncho. Katara stood up and ran towards her, eyes wide in shock.

"It's okay. You're safe." She assured the woman. I quickly hurried over and helped support the woman until we reached the fire. The woman was old, her jowls hung down like a bulldogs and her wrinkles created shadowy folds across her face.

"But my husband isn't."

"The fisherman?" Sokka asked, standing. The woman nodded.

"He's still hasn't returned and he should have been back by now. The storm is a typhoon. He's caught out at see and no one will go out in this weather." I turned and looked at Aang.

"It's your choice Aang are we going to save them or stay here." Katara and Sokka sent me incredulous looks but I ignored them. Aang frowned before his eyes set in determination.

"We go."

* * *

A typhoon was an understatement. It was everything I could do to hold on to Appa's saddle. The rain was blinding and icy cold. Sheets of ice water which stung my face like needles. Aang sat on Appa's head, steering. Katara and Sokka sat beside me, both struggling as much as I was.

"I can't see anything!" I screamed, unsure if they could even hear me over the howling wind and thunder. This was a thunderstorm mixed with a hurricane. It wasn't natural.

"The boat! There it is!" Katara bellowed. She pointed. I followed the finger. A little wooden boat bobbed on the tossing sea, a twig over rapids. It was helpless as was the elderly man desperately trying to control the sails.

"I can't land Appa there!" Aang shouted to us. I nodded.

"Just take us down as close as you can. We'll do the rest." I didn't hear Aang's response if he even made one. A strong gust of wind almost knocked me off-balance. Sokka grabbed my arm. I winced at the strength but didn't say anything. Appa descended in jerky moments that scared me out of my wits. Soon enough we were close enough to the boat.

"We have to jump!" Sokka shouted. I nodded despite the fear gripping me. I was going to be brave. I didn't have a reason to be scared. Taking a deep breath I gripped Sokka and Katara by the hands and we jumped.

I hit the deck and collapsed to the ground. Sokka and Katara let go of me, not wasting a second. Sokka began helping the old man get control of his sails and Katara began bending water out of the boat, easing its load. I stumbled to my feet quickly and ran to join Sokka and the old man. As soon as the sails were secure I grabbed Sokka.

"We have to leave the boat and get him onto Appa."

"This is his livelihood! We can't leave it!"

"If we don't he won't have a life to worry about!" I screamed.

"How do you know that?"

"You have to trust me." Sokka looked worried but nodded. He grabbed the man and started dragging him over to Katara and I. Aang was coming back down. It was going to be hard but this was a risk we had to take. As Aang swooped down with Appa, Sokka and the old man jumped, reaching for Appa's tail. They landed, Aang having left the bison's head to help the elderly man up to the saddle. Katara and I were next. With a cry I launched myself from the boat, Katara right beside me. We hit Appa's tail with a loud smack. We clambered up, shaking and wet onto the saddle.

"GO! GO! Go!" My voice was raw and by the last word it cracked painfully. Aang spun Appa around and we flew away the giant wave forming right on our tails. We flew for minutes although it could have been hours. Every time we tried to fly in the direction of the village we were forced to turn around. Finally Aang turned us into the eye of the storm.

* * *

I watched the fire as I picked apart the fish meat on my lap. We had managed to escape somehow and reunite the woman with her husband. The elderly couple had been grateful and given us a meal. Three good-sized fish. I had told my friends that we needed to get completely dry as well as our clothes. Aang had kindly air dried everyone and now we sat beside a roaring fire with three beautiful smoked fish sitting on our laps. Even Aang was partaking in the meal, which told me just how hungry the young avatar was.

"So are you going to tell them?" Sokka asked me as he moved to sit beside me. I shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm sure Aang would appreciate having someone else to share the burden of the world on his shoulders and all but Katara..." I paused and looked deeply into the fire. The coals glowed in an ethereal light, casting dark shadows across the faces of my friends.

"You think she'll reject you?"

"She's fourteen and naïve, her world is all black and white. She might believe me but she'll be angry I kept it to myself and she'll think that I will always have to take action to try to change things."

"Do you really think that?"

"Katara's a nice girl." I told Sokka, "but I don't know her as well as I should."

"Maybe give her a chance because if I know and Aang knows but she doesn't... she won't forgive you for a while."

"I know that Sokka." I sighed, "I'm not completely ready to tell everything."

"I'll wait." I smiled at Sokka. In the fire a large snapped loudly.

"Thanks."

* * *

_I am so so sorry that this update is so late. To make up for it though I'm posting two chapters at the same time chapter 16 and chapter 17. I severely underestimated how hard it would be to move and unpack in an entirely new place and to add to that we got a kitten three days ago. A little eight week old cat is now added to the family and getting underfoot as well doesn't help anything. On another topic I'm for sure going to be able to update once again every Saturday for the foreseeable future. I'll let you know if something changes about that. Also I've been thinking of renaming myself Firebrand, the book that Princess Kassandra (AKA Princess Kassie) was named for. Anyway thank you for your patience and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write back to every review. I hope that will change as well. Anyway. Once again thank you and I hope you enjoy chapter 17 of Change the World._

_~ Princess Kassie (Soon to be Firebrand) Out. _


	17. A Web of Lies

Chapter 17

A Web of Lies

It all started with a sore throat from Sokka. He was a little hoarse and was coughing slightly. It wasn't a lot but it was enough to alarm me. By the end of the day he was running a fever with hallucinations. Katara sent Aang out to find ginger root since he knew what ginger looked like while I didn't. While Aang was gone I worked ferociously, making sure Sokka remained hydrated and warm.

"I couldn't find any ginger root."Aang stated as he returned from his outing half and hour later.

"But I did find a map. It says that there's a herbalist's nearby." Aang turned to leave with his glider but stopped when there was a clap of thunder. I frowned. The storm was long gone even though the sky was still grey. There shouldn't have been any more thunder. Katara coughed beside me.

"Not you too." Aang moaned. I winced myself. So far I was healthy but who knew how long that would last?

"It's just a cough Aang." Katara tried to assure him but to no avail.

"That was what it was like for Sokka earlier and now look. He thinks he's an earthbender!" As if on cue Sokka made a funny move.

"Take that you rock." He mumbled. I sighed and tucked his arms back into his sleeping bag.

"You too Katara, you need to keep warm and rest or you're going to end up like him." I cautioned. I turned to Aang.

"A word, in private please." He nodded and we walked a little ways away from where the two water tribe siblings lay against Appa.

"Aang be careful okay, avoid the paths, even if it takes longer... there's a lot I need to tell you but there isn't really time. Just remember that even when things look their bleakest you'll be alright and that Zuko-" I trailed off for a moment, unsure of how to continue. An image flashed in front of my eyes. It was my first day of tenth grade, my first year of high school and I was terrified. I didn't know where to go and was relying heavily upon the school map I had been given. I walked into my homeroom and noticed that all around the room, inspirational posters had been written. Several caught my eye, each one distinctly different.

"Scars may show us where we have been, but should not dictate where we are going." That one poster had not only made me comfortable, it had reminded me of Zuko. It just seemed to fit his character so well in both literal and figurative terms too.

"What?" I blinked looking up at Aang in surprise. I had forgotten that he was there for a moment.

"Sorry, if you met Zuko just give him a chance, he's not as bad as he likes us to believe." Aang looked at me strangely then nodded and took off running. I sighed and turned around. This was going to be a long couple of hours.

About half an hour later Katara asked for water. I agreed and left having run out a little while ago.

When I returned Katara's eyes were glassy and she was staring out into space. For a split second I panicked before I realized she was just hallucinating like Sokka had been. I eased down beside her carefully. I ladled some water from the bucket and held it in front of her.

"Thanks Momo." I blinked at her in shock. It was then I realized. I had always wondered what had happened to the little trinkets Momo had found for Katara and why they had vanished after Aang showed up. Now I knew why. Every part that involved Momo and Katara in that episode was all a hallucination. It sent shivers up my spine even thinking just how advanced the mental trickery that this fever was causing. Whatever this strange illness was I wanted nothing to do with it.

Aang didn't return until nearly sunrise the next day. He was exhausted and worn. His clothes were dirty and torn in places and he nearly shoved a frog in my mouth before he realized I wasn't sick anymore then he was. I looked at him and wondered what he had gone through yesterday.

* * *

_Aang_

I stretched myself gently slowly riding my body of the soreness that being imprisoned had caused. At the same time I tried to move past the fears I had experienced. The fear that this illness might be fatal, that Maddi fell ill while I was away. The fear that I would never return to my friends and that I would forever be alone in the metal walls. The fear that I would be a prisoner until the day I died. Then there was Zuko. He had risked everything to save me, his life, his position, even the honour he forever seemed fixated on. I didn't understand why. Why would he pretend to be the blue spirit? Had his plan been to kidnap me from admiral Zhao and take me for himself or had he really just wanted to free me? All these questions ran circles around in my mind. Not knowing was bothering me more then anything. If I knew he was my enemy then I would have left already. If I had known he was my friend I would have brought him to Katara, Sokka and Maddi. As it was he was in some sort of between and for some bizarre reason Maddi not only trusted him, she cared for him. Maybe Maddi had a point. Maybe it was time to give Zuko a chance. I hopped up onto a branch which was covered in moss and waited.

A few moments later Zuko shifted slightly. I began talking. Telling him things that had been on my mind since I had been to Omashu. I had been so scared because I had been sure that Bumi was dead.

"You know what the worst thing about being born a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with." I smiled slightly as a memory of Kuzon came to my mind.

"Before the war started I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us? We'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had." I felt a stab of pain. I hadn't been able to see Kuzon after I had been told I was the avatar. Would he have turned his back on me like the others had or would he have stayed with me like my current friends had?

"And he was from the fire nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?" Zuko didn't move he just stared at me, a strange expression on his face. I shrugged.

"You know I talked to Maddi before I was captured. She said something... I don't think she was really thinking but she said something which I thought sounded really wise. She said that we all have scars and that while they show us where we have been, they don't dictate what we're going to do with our lives." I noticed the fury in his eyes before I realized how he might have taken what I was saying.

"It's just a saying, it doesn't mean anything but I think she's right. We all have scars, just because you can't see mine doesn't mean I don't have them... I guess what I'm trying to say is, if we had been born at the same time, do you think we could have been friends?" Zuko didn't move. The anger seemed to have vanished slightly but it wasn't gone.

"I recommend you leave before I hurt you." Was the first words from his lips. I felt my stomach sink and at the same time I was glad. He may not have agreed we could have been friends but he had warned me. Maddi was right, that wasn't the sign of someone who really wanted to hurt me. I smiled just before I left.

"I think we might have."

* * *

_M__adison _

I wasn't particularly pleased when Sokka and Katara insisted we leave the next morning. I suppose both were disgruntled and feeling ill from the fact they were sucking frogs for a good fifteen minutes. Aang while tired had been surprisingly upbeat which had confused me. What was even stranger was he thanked me for the advice with the largest grin on his face. He didn't even ask how I had known. It was to strange for my liking.

We set out but I was determined and insisted that Sokka and Katara rest the entire way there, in their sleeping bags. Neither had been pleased with me but they had listed.

"I think I have a wart on my throat flap thingy."

"No Sokka you don't" I told him, I was thoroughly engrossed in the scroll of the fire nation soldier I had bought.

"You didn't even look."

"I didn't have to." I replied in a bored voice, "Neither frogs or toads actually have warts, the bumps that people think are warts on toads are actually glands to keep themselves moist. And it's not called a throat flap, it has a proper scientific name."

"Maybe in your world those things are true, how do you know they're true here?" If I hadn't seen the look on Sokka's face as he uttered those words I would have killed him right there and felt no regret. He had just spilled my secret and judging from the expressions on Katara and Aang's faces it hadn't gone unheard either. I closed my eyes, put my scroll to the side and counted to ten slowly. I had to remind myself that Sokka was still recovering from a very bad illness which brought on hallucinations. Still if I denied it now and told them the truth later forgiveness wouldn't even be an option.

"What are you talking about." I sighed.

"Sokka was talking about the fact I don't come from this world." Slowly I told them everything, going into a lot more detail. I told them about the earthquake, about how my world instead of having bending had technology and how we loved fictional stories. Stories that sometimes weren't as fictional as they appeared.

"You know our future?" Katara asked in shock as she tried to process what I was saying.

"Intimately," I admitted softly, "I loved that, well this particular story. But then I stopped looking at it for a year and a half and then I ended up here. Needless to say while I have a good memory I can't remember everything."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aang asked softly. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"For the same reason you didn't want to be the avatar. I didn't want the weight of the world on my shoulders. I struggled enough in learning how this world works and trying to fit in. I didn't need anymore issues and then how was I supposed to tell you that you'd find Aang in an iceberg on a fishing trip? I didn't know if you were going to find him tomorrow or in almost a year. And even after Aang How was I supposed to say that I knew everything about your life from the moment you met him until the day... well I..." I sighed again. Aang looked unsure and Katara looked downright incredulous.

"If I told you I was scared you wouldn't look at me as a friend and companion but as a map. I was scared you'd ask me how to live your lives right down on what to eat. I wouldn't be a person anymore and besides, my knowledge doesn't change like all this does. Because I'm here the world is changing. Eventually at some point my knowledge is going to be outdated and then if you're still expecting all my answer to be right I could end up killing you. Just because I underestimated how fast things would change. I couldn't do that." There was silence for a long time as my friends took in my words. Aang seemed to understand as he gave me a pitying smile. His eyes clearly saying that he understood and he'd stand by me. Sokka too was looking supportive, in a determined sort of way. I understood he was telling me that he had my back, no matter what. On the other side of the story Katara was looking conflicted. She didn't seem to know whether to support me or to criticize me. Either way I decided that I wasn't going to blame her. She was still young, she wasn't as aware of the world as Aang was. She hadn't experienced what Aang had.

"How much are you willing to tell us about what's going to happen?" She finally asked. I sighed.

"I don't know in all honesty. There is just to many variables involved." I admitted. "I don't want to tell you something that is going to happen then have you make a different choice and do something that may have severe consequences."

"And what if you don't tell us and something has changed like you fear and someone gets hurt because of it."

"That's already happened." My companions snapped to attention, suddenly alert.

"Who?"

"Suki. She wasn't supposed to get that badly hurt. She was supposed to be fine and wish Sokka farewell." I admitted with a shaky voice. I still felt bad about what happened to Suki but there was nothing I could really do to change what had been done. It was over. Like I had told Aang, each new day like a second chance. Sokka nodded seriously, there was a sadness in his eyes. We still didn't know if Suki and survived. If this had happened in the actual series I wouldn't really have thought about it. Suki had been a minor character until later in the series, not really worth interest. However, not only did I know how important Suki was going to be in the long run, I also knew she was a real person, she wasn't ink and paper and animation. She was a real sixteen year old girl who had her entire village nearly burnt to the ground because they had welcomed three strangers into their midst.

"Is that it?"

"That's all I can think of now, I don't think there are more people who were hurt."

"What about things you want to change." I looked up at Aang in surprise.

"What are some things you want to stop from happening? Let us know and maybe when that time comes, if it comes, we can help." I gave myself a small smile.

"I don't know but... I can at least tell you what I want to stop. I won't tell you what leads up to that though, I'm not really comfortable with that yet." They nodded. I had a sneaking suspicion that they just wanted an idea of what was going to happen to them.

"I want to stop Jet from dying, I want to stop Appa from being bison-napped. I want to help Zuko make the right choice earlier. I want to save Iroh. I want to-" I trailed off before saying in a stronger voice.

"I don't want anyone to ever have to suffer or hurt. I want to save everyone I can. No matter what. I just don't know how to do that." I admitted with a blush.

"That's a tall order." Sokka warned.

"I know, that's why I don't want to tell you guys. You shouldn't have to get involved. None of you should have to go through this. You're still kids, you deserve to have a childhood but you didn't. Your childhood was taken away when Sozin decided to take over the rest of the world. It's something that I can't change but it is something I wish I could have."

"I don't." Katara told me. It was my turn to look incredulous. How could she not want that?

"Because if that never happened. None of us would have ever met each other." I smiled at Katara as Sokka pointed something else out.

"If you're striving for a perfect world you're not going to get it Pala. There isn't such a thing."

"No," I agreed, "but I can always try. If I have high goals then I have a higher chance of success." There was silence on the bison for a while as we all took what had been said in. Aang seemed troubled and kept stroking Appa nervously. Katara was deep in thought, unaware of how Sokka was inspecting her. He was keeping an eye on his sister, making sure she was going to be okay. I didn't blame him. There was a lot to be worried about. I gently reached over and touched Aang on the shoulder.

"I promise I'll do everything I can." The young avatar sent me a smile.

"I know. I trust you." After a moment I looked at him more seriously.

"Why did you and Katara trust me so quickly?"

"Well Sokka believed you," He replied, "and your story was to out there to be a lie. Kind of like how I was trapped in an iceberg for a hundred years... I guess the most unrealistic things are the most real sometimes." I smiled warmly. Aang had no idea how good it was to hear that. Apparently being told that this was just as crazy as it felt was something I had needed.

"Thank you Aang." Aang shrugged.

"No problem. But you need to trust us. The monks always warned me to never get caught in a web of lies."

"I guess I nearly got caught in one." I admitted. "So how do you escape a web of lies?"

"You tell the truth. A single truth can cut through a web of lies like a scythe through corn."

* * *

(If you read the author note on chapter 16 don't worry about reading this)

I am so so sorry that this update is so late. To make up for it though I'm posting two chapters at the same time chapter 16 and chapter 17. I severely underestimated how hard it would be to move and unpack in an entirely new place and to add to that we got a kitten three days ago. A little eight week old cat is now added to the family and getting underfoot as well doesn't help anything. On another topic I'm for sure going to be able to update once again every Saturday for the foreseeable future. I'll let you know if something changes about that. Also I've been thinking of renaming myself Firebrand, the book that Princess Kassandra (AKA Princess Kassie) was named for. Anyway thank you for your patience and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write back to every review. I hope that will change as well. Anyway. Once again thank you and I hope you enjoy chapter 17 of Change the World.


	18. Panda Lilies

Chapter 18

Panda Lilies

"You're all idiots." I grumbled as rain soaked through my hair, pasting my three stranded braid to my chest and the occasional loose strand to my forehead. "Run down a hill and climb a tree? Run in zig-zags? None of those work except making a loud noise to scar it away and then only with black bears which that bear wasn't." Katara sent me a scathing look from underneath the peach umbrella.

"And why would it be the same as in your world?" I felt myself bristle at the sarcastic tone. The relationship between Katara and I had plummeted since I had told them of my secret. At first I had been okay with it and given her space to figure it out. Now, four days later and I was getting sick of her attitude. Aang had completely accepted me and Sokka had never once wavered but Katara remained as cold as the day she found out. In fact I was beginning to think our relationship had gotten worse. I opened my mouth to say something when she butted in front of me.

"I'll let you under the umbrella if you admit you were wrong, Sokka." She told her brother. I huffed, indigent.

"Anyone could have guessed it was going to rain," Sokka insisted, "It's been cloudy all day. Look I'll tell the future now. It's going to keep drizzling." I chuckled. Sokka's hand movements were ridiculous the added bonus that the rain really did stop that moment was perfect.

"Not everyone has the gift Sokka." Aang teased gently. I desperately wanted to make a comment but restrained myself. I didn't want to completely destroy the already crumbling relationship between Katara and I.

We arrived at Aunt Wu's village a little while later and Katara insisted that we see her. I was careful to keep my mouth closed. We were escorted in by a man who welcomed us with the 'eerie' words "Welcome, Aunt Wu is expecting you."

Inside I was surprised with how beautiful everything was. Solid wood tables and boxes. Silk screens decorated with images of cherry blossoms and small birds. The entire two story building sang of wealth. Thinking back I realized that Aunt Wu's village was about the same size as Haru's (including the prisoners that is) and yet it looked like it was in the golden era. There were flower beds surrounding each house and the streets were cobbled with white stone and motor. The roofs were green and curved in the traditional style. For a village with maybe two hundred people for population it seemed as though it belonged to an entirely different world then Haru's. I wondered briefly if this wealth was all from Aunt Wu and how a woman who asked for no money was able to support an entire village. Shaking my head I put the question aside, deciding that I would ask Aunt Wu later. I took the opportunity to do some more reading. The writer of my fire nation scroll who I still didn't know the name of had just finished his training and had been assigned to a small group of soldiers guarding a new Fire Nation colony.

_Day 1 of my time at the colony and already I have decided that city life is to complicated for me. Give me a plot of earth to toil over and leave me to do to it what I will. This assignment seems ridiculously easy for what we were led to expect in training. Still I stay alert. As innocent as this seems I don't wish to fall into a false sense of security. I still have scars from when I made that mistake back at the camp. _

I was aware of Katara leaving with Aunt Wu and the thick haired girl who I couldn't remember the name of talk to Aang. I chose to ignore both and continue to read.

_Day 2. Today we got to exercise our disciplinary ability. A small group of teenagers decided to protest the new nations occupancy of their home. I don't blame them. The more I see of this war the more I realize that it is not a good thing. It hurt everyone like a swarm of locus. Seven of the teens were caught and it was placed on our shoulders to carry out the discipline. I was given a whip and placed behind a fourteen year old girl. The sentence was five lashes. Easy for a seasoned soldier to handle but for a child, pure agony. It took everything I had to hit her and every time I did I wanted to scream with her. It was even worse when I realized that I was only two and a half years older than her. Somehow over my six month training period I lost my youth. War is a leech that steals away innocence and vitality leaving behind old, tortured souls. _

"Your future will be full of pain, most of it self-inflicted." I jumped. I had been so absorbed in my reading that I hadn't even noticed Aunt Wu returning.

"You didn't even read my palm or anything!" Sokka yelped, glaring at the offending woman.

"I didn't have to, it's written all over your face." I looked at Sokka curiously. There was a rather interesting dark spot on his cheek where the fish had hit him earlier today. Then I turned and looked at Aunt Wu. She was a handsome woman and I could tell that she was intelligent. She knew what to look for to diagnose a personality. There was no doubt in my mind that she was simply ahead of her time and knew how to profile.

"Then I guess I'll go next." I stated, rolling up my scroll and tucking it away. I was going to enjoy this, while I was no profiler I had done exceptionally well in all my psychology courses. Aunt Wu lead me into a private area. She gestured at a pillow for me to sit in and then raised her eyebrows.

"Would you like me to read your palm or do a more advanced type?"

"How about some questions first." I proposed, crossing my legs. Aunt Wu nodded, a twinkle in her eyes.

"I didn't think you would be one convinced easily."

"You're right. I don't think you can tell the future. I think you know what to look for in people to guess at who they are and their history. From there you use the four logical fallacies to convince people that you're telling them their future." Aunt Wu's face didn't change.

"And what are these four Logical Fallacies?" She asked lightly. I sighed.

"The Barnum Effect, The fallacy of positive instances, the self-serving bias and the ad hoc explanations. Essentially you avoid anything specific, using vague terms and references that could fit a very wide variety of people. You will sometimes contradict yourself and our minds will cause us to remember what applied to us. We want to hear good things and are more likely to believe something positive and if we do catch you in a mistake you can explain it away." I crossed my arms with a smug smile.

"The only thing that confuses me is when you use bones. How do you know how certain bones will break? Or do you use the same techniques?" Aunt Wu stared at me for a moment before she broke out into a deep throaty laughter.

"Very clever girl. You know what you're looking for. You're right, of course though I am surprised you know, usually only other fortune tellers like I know this. The secrets have been passed down through the generations although I have never heard the names you gave them before. Were you trained as a fortune teller?" I shook my head.

"No, I was taught how to read people and as part of that I was taught the sort of things the average person falls for. I am curious though, how much can you tell from just looking at a person?" Aunt Wu smiled.

"I'll tell you everything I found out about you in this short time as long as you do not tell my secret to anyone else. It is how I make my living." I cocked my head at that thoughtfully.

"But you don't ask for any payment? How could you make your living off this if you don't accept money?" Aunt Wu smiled.

"I'll keep that as my secret for now. However do you wish to start?" I nodded. Curiosity was biting at me to find out everything I could.

"You recently got into a fight with the water tribe girl or the two of you are currently at odds with each other. You have recently undergone some major change and your way of life has changed dramatically. You are learned and intelligent so you came from a family with some money and lived a life of comfort until the change occurred. I couldn't tell you exactly what happened but I suspect that you met up with the water tribe siblings shortly after this event. You have been trained to fight with a bow and know at least one style of fighting where you can protect yourself without a weapon as well. You are not a bender and I suspect that you originally came from one of the fire nation colonies. Perhaps the anger your girl companion holds is because you kept your origin a secret from them?" I shivered. Quickly I drew my attention to the mistakes she had made, keeping them in my memory so I didn't fall into the same trap so many people did.

"You're close. My family wasn't well off, we always had money to get by but it was tight sometimes. Also I'm not from the fire colonies. Still, that was eerily accurate. How did you get all that?" Aunt Wu leaned back with a knowing expression on her face.

"Actually I got a good part of it off the water tribe girl, Katara. She is an open book, all to eager to believe which is always useful. You look like someone who has both earth kingdom and fire nation bloodlines but you travel with two water tribe and an airbender. I could tell you've been trained to fight with a bow because of the unique callous that only archers get, however it is very faint, so you recently began or don't practice a lot. You walk with the confidence of someone who feels safe so either you are a fool with a false sense of security which I already knew was not true or know hand to hand combat." Aunt Wu grinned wolfishly, "All that helps lead up to the change theory." I nodded.

"So how can you tell if a person is a bender? Can you tell how good of a bender they are as well?" Aunt Wu nodded.

"Earthbenders are harder on their feet and plant them firmly, their movements are powerful and purposeful. Waterbenders move smoothly, almost gliding as they walk, their movements are graceful like a dancers. Firebenders are firm in their movements but more versatile and flexible then earthbenders. As for the airbender in the other room, he barely touches the floor while he is walking, sliding more than walking."

I laughed gently as Aunt Wu stood and ushered me out to be with my companions.

* * *

"Well now you can see that fortune-telling is all a big hoax." Sokka exclaimed as we walked out of Aunt Wu's place.

"You're just saying that since you're going to make yourself miserable your whole life." Katara replied with a sneaky smile.

"That's not true, my life is going to be peaceful and happy-"

"Don't kick that rock." I warned while walking by. Sokka stopped, looked at the rock he had been about to kick and quickly moved away. Katara glared at me. What was her problem anyway? Katara and Aang wandered off talking about Aunt Wu's prediction while Sokka stayed behind with me.

"I'm sorry." I turned to Sokka incredulous.

"For what?"

"I told you to give Katara a chance. I thought she would believe you. After everything that has happened to us. Normally I'm the one who has to have everything proved to him time and time again."

"That and the guy with the boomerang." I teased with a smile, purposefully avoiding the subject he was trying to bring up. It worked. Sokka's face became dreamy as he agreed.

"Yeah, that too." I chuckled. One of the things about Sokka was that it was easy to stroke his ego and yet he never seemed to become ridiculously full of himself. Then again he always seemed to be the but of many a joke. That might have had something to do with it.

We walked into the main square, following Katara and Aang only to discover Aunt Wu reading the clouds. I sighed and turned away as Sokka began arguing with a man about how ridiculous he sounded. I decided to ignore everything and find somewhere that I could meditate. Although I had failed to meditate correctly every single time I still had been able to contact the spirits. Maybe it was because they always seemed to come to me, not the other way around.

* * *

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to a painfully loud bang. I shot upright and stuck my head out of the window. A pillar of smoke spewed from the open mouth of the volcano. I didn't even stop to think I took off and ran down to the square where Katara, Sokka and Aang were debating with the people.

"And I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears." The man who had been attacked by the platypus-bear retorted. I wasn't going to waste any time. Things were looking bad.

"Katara, Aang come here, Sokka get Aunt Wu." I snapped. I remembered this part of the episode very well because my family and I had always laughed at how ridiculous the sign for volcanic doom was. Sokka took off and Katara and Aang approached me.

"We have to make the cloud sign for volcanic doom." I told them quickly, "climb on Appa and bend the clouds, they're made of air and water so you should be fine. You need to make a cloud that is shaped like a skull." I told them quickly and quietly so that the villagers couldn't hear us. Aang and Katara both nodded, neither was going to argue when there was a village on the line.

"That's that the legend of your world says?" I nodded sharply and Aang took off, followed a little more slowly by Katara.

I stood waiting and watching as the clouds changed before my eyes. What had once been a big fluffy cloud with no distinctive shape was changing, becoming more sinister.

"Aunt Wu, look." I heard aunt Wu's cry of surprise and smirked. This was going great. Another explosion from the volcano wracked the town and I realized that I shouldn't count my blessings yet. There was still a lot that could happen and there was a lot that could go wrong. I joined the people as Sokka organized us, Earthbenders joining in with non-benders to build a trench around the town.

Heat was building and small tremors shook the ground as we furiously began digging and bending. The benders were clearing significantly more than us with shovels. Still I furiously toiled on.

Half an hour later it felt like night had fallen. Thick clouds of smoke filled the sky and gentle flakes of ash fell down like snow. A promise of silent death. I didn't stop my work despite the fact my hands were breaking out into blisters from the rough wood of the shovel's handle and I was drenched in sweat. Another explosion wracked the area, strong enough to knock me and many other villagers off their feet. Sokka shouted an order again, demanding that everyone get out of there as fast as they could. No one even waited to hear the end of his cries. We all scrambled into town. I stopped as soon as Sokka did, breathing hard I leaned against the side of a building. Sokka and Katara were likewise effected. Only Aang didn't seem bothered by the work we had put out. I had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with his airbending though I had little proof. One day I would have to ask him the full extent of his abilities.

"That isn't good." Sokka muttered as lava poured down the mountainside in rivulets and then waves. It seemed like the entire mountain was being drenched with molten rock and ash. I didn't even have time to fully take in the lava overflowing the trench we had made before Aang was changing it, turning it into solid stone. I gaped in awe. There were no words to describe the wave of ice-cold air that hit the tsunami of lava and turned it into rock. One second the lava was raw and burning, ready to consume the entire town, the next it was a giant barrier, protecting the very place it had been about to attack itself. I couldn't help but build the analogy in my head, it was an incredible sight.

For the next few hours, ash rained from the sky along with the occasional pumice stone, light airy rocks that would actually float on water. I pocketed a few of them, thinking they might be useful sometime in the future before joining the rest of the village in cleaning the streets.

By the time the volcano had calmed and the streets had been clean it was nearly night, the stars were unable to be seen as the heavy layer of smoke covered them like a veil. Aunt Wu offered us a place to stay in her house and we accepted in an instant. I was feeling filthy and gross, as was everyone else.

"I have made up a bath for you," Aunt Wu told us with a small smile, "I believe Maddi will have some questions for me." Katara left quickly, looking both tired and excited at the idea of a bath. As was I but Aunt Wu was right, some questions had occurred to me and I wanted to know the answers. As soon as Aang and Sokka had left I turned to the elderly woman.

"Why did you tell the villagers those ridiculous fortunes?" Aunt Wu raised an eyebrow at me in curiosity.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific Madison."

"Okay, why did you tell one guy that he was going to find his true love when he wore red shoes? Why did you tell someone that they should never have a bath? Why did you tell Meng that she would marry a guy with big ears? And why a rare flower? How did you know he was going to give her a panda lily?" Aunt Wu laughed and raised her hands.

"You know it is a good thing I know my customers," she told me with a smile, "otherwise I wouldn't know anyone but Meng. As it is, the man with the red shoes... His name is Chang, he believed that he would never find someone who would love him. He had never had any luck with the ladies, he was to tactless. He came to me, asking when and where he would meet his true love. As you know I don't know the future so I told him that he would meet his true love on a day where he wore red shoes." I nodded, it made sense it kept with being a fortune-teller and at the same time it helped the man out.

"The man who never takes a bath... he is an interesting case. He believed that he was going to die, murdered in fact. He didn't trust anybody. He was paranoid."

"What does that have to do with never taking a bath."

"I told him he would die by drowning in his bathing tub." I blinked, not understanding why she would say that. Noticing my confusion Aunt Wu explained.

"By saying he would die in his bathing tub he lost much of his fear of being attacked. Although I'm not surprised that he has refused to take a bath. This is much better then the alternative. He was a danger to himself and others."

"So by telling him he was going to die in water he lost his paranoia?" Aunt Wu nodded.

"To an extent, all his fear is now focused on water rather than people. I was worried that he was going to kill someone one day out of perceived self-defence." I nodded, this was starting to make sense.

"And Meng?"

"She wanted to believe one day she would have a husband and she wanted to know what to look for. As for the last girl, that was Jin, I knew she was going to get a Panda lily from that wonderful young man because he told me. The two have been in love for months and it was about high time they became serious." I chuckled at the last one. Aunt Wu might not have always done the best thing but she meant well. She wanted to take care of her village.

"Maddi if you want a bath go now before Sokka tries to steal it." I turned to see Katara peering down from the stairs. I nodded and quickly scurried up.

The water was warm still when I sunk into the bathwater Katara had used previously. It seemed like it was a long time ago that I had been able to just turn on a tap and have hot water. The amount of effort it took to get a single metal tub filled with hot water meant that to have to refill the tub for each bath was a dream. Back at the south pole I had shared a single tub with at least ten other women. Each of us was expected to get washed and out in about five minutes so that the next person could go. The washing was organized by age, the youngest always had to go first and the eldest last. This meant that there was only about three people who went before Katara and I went after her. Here though, with only four of us I got to use water that had only been used by one person before. It was almost a luxury. Still I was quick. I used the soap which was scented with lavender (now that was a luxury) and scrubbed my body thoroughly with an old rag. The soap I used for my body was also used on my hair and face. Afterwards I felt raw but clean, a feeling I had come to expect. It was refreshing. I dried myself as best I could in the fabric I had been given then changed into my water tribe clothing which was clean and shouted for Aang. For some reason Aang insisted that Katara and I both go before him for the bathing routine, once again it was something that the monks did that Aang was reliving. I didn't question it, still it was on the list of questions I wanted to ask Aang about. Somehow though, I doubted that I would ever learn the answers.

That night I lay in my sleeping bag and stared up at the wooden ceiling and mentally counted off the episodes until what I knew of the first season was complete. There was Bato, The Northern Airtemple and then we would be in the North pole. Two weeks were left before we were expected to be there. Two weeks until I faced the season finale. Things had seemed so slow at the beginning, I would have never known that it would be this soon that I would face such a huge decision. A decision I wasn't sure I was ready for. I still had so many questions that were going unanswered, I still had so much I wanted to learn and I only had two weeks left. The clock was ticking and I was trying in vain to imagine that it had stopped.

* * *

_A fairly light, fluffy chapter. Some theories about how their world worked and some real-world psychology terms. I actually had been planning on skipping this chapter but with how serious things were about to become I decided a light chapter might be nice before I start throwing everything I have planned at you. Anyway thank you to the guests who reviewed I really appreciate it. Actually I'm just going to say thank you once again to anyone who reviewed, I love reading what you think or suggestions about this story. Anyway thank you and I hope you have a nice day._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	19. When Trust is Broken

Chapter 19

When Trust is Broken

I had no idea how to approach the situation that I knew was soon to arrive with Bato. While he had been a minor character in the story in Katara and Sokka's life he was anything but. Bato, as second in command to Hadoka would have been like an uncle to the water tribe siblings. Someone who they would inexplicably trust. But to me he was a stranger. In some ways it was a refreshing thought, in others it was terrifying. I didn't know enough about Bato to know if he would accept me as one of the water tribe as everyone else had. I didn't know how he would react to where I had come to be in Katara and Sokka's life. Most of all, I didn't know how he would respond to me knowledge of his and Hakoda's exploits (I had heard the story of the blubber fiasco several times and it was funny). The thought of meeting someone who was so close to those I held dear was daunting. Katara, Sokka and Aang were the only people I had left, they were my family, even when they were angry or shunning me as Katara had continued to do. I had little doubt in my mind that Katara wasn't going to move on. She believed me, she had to otherwise she wouldn't have listened to me back at Aunt Wu's village but for some reason she was angry at me. I suspected that it was because I not only knew their future but I was insisting upon keeping much of it a secret. Then again no one had asked me if they won the war or how to defeat the fire lord. I wasn't surprised. Right now our goal was to find a waterbending teacher for Aang. Defeating the Fire Lord was a long ways away. Or so it seemed to them.

After a moment, I realized that the lesson Aang would learn from this was too important. When things got rough he needed to know that we would never leave him. That lesson could not be skipped over or just spoken. He would have to learn it the hard way. My heart ached at the anger he would feel for me, he might even shun me for it. I decided though that I could deal with it if it was what was needed. For the first time in a long time I looked back and thought about my family. My sadness of losing them had subsided to nothing. Telling my story had lessened my burden and allowed me to move on. I had never realized just how much freer I would feel by telling the truth as hard as it had been at the time.

The day for meeting Bato arrived sooner than I had expected. Aang had agreed to look for some food for us, scavenging was a skill that boy knew well.

"Hey look at this!" I turned from where I had been picking at bushes, looking for edible berries to see Aang holding a curved sword. I didn't recognize the weapon as Sokka didn't own one, however looking at Sokka's reverence when he picked it up, he did.

"It's a watertribe weapon." He stated, taking a careful eye to it, "See if you can find something else." I quickly abandoned the search for food and began looking about for evidence of watertribe (or fire nation) passing through. Upon closer inspection I noticed that there was ash on some trees and some patches of grass had been burnt and then worn away into dust. Sokka found the next weapon, the tip of a watertribe arrow.

"Did someone lose something?" Katara asked, wandering down from where she had been digging for edible roots. Despite that Katara had been raised in the water tribe she seemed able to pick up skills wherever she went.

"There was a battle," Sokka explained holding up the weapons and indicating the scorch marks I had noticed, "Watertribe warriors ambushed a group of fire nation soldiers." Sokka explained.

"The water tribe warriors pursued as the fire nation was forced to retreat, they went down this way..." Sokka took off in the direction he had pointed, forcing the rest of us to run behind him. I didn't' mind, it was incredible to see what a good tracker Sokka was. My memory flashed back to the day he had brought in a caribou of some sort for the tribe. Everyone was pleased and surprised. I had been in particular happy since I had recently tasted my first sea-prunes and while I had liked it because of how hungry I had been I had no doubt that this would taste good no matter what. Still, I had grown accustomed to the meal overtime. As we ran out onto a sandy bank Aang spoke.

"So what happened next?"

"I don't know." Sokka muttered, I could see the disappointment on him, "the water washed any tracks away."

"Not quite." I stated lightly, touching Sokka's shoulder and pointing. Suddenly energy coursed through my friends as they ran up to the boat. I couldn't help but admit I was curious about how it was made. Coming up I noticed that the bottom was painted over with tar. The sides were wood. I wasn't sure where the water tribe would even get enough wood for a single boat like this let alone a fleet. The edgings of the ship were made out of carved bone with intricate designs and patterns on it. The ship itself, not including the mast was only seven feet high, smaller than even Zuko's ship which was dwarfed by the other ships that the fire nation had. For once it occurred to me just how hopeless this war looked. I wondered how many men the southern watertribe had lost in the two or more years they had been gone.

"Is this dad's ship?" Katara asked both with excitement and worry. Excitement because if it was her father's ship then he would be nearby, worry because that meant that he might be injured or even dead.

"No, but it's one of his fleet." Sokka explained. I didn't know how he knew that but I didn't question it as a sudden sad look passed over him.

"It's almost dinner, let's rest here for the night." I suggested lightly. Sokka nodded.

We made out camp several feet away from the boat. Just in case high tide was higher than we suspected. Sokka figured by the way the boat was stranded that the tide wouldn't go high enough to pull it out to sea. However, at least three feet of water could come up before the ship would feel an inclination to move. We set up a good-sized fire, both to keep the chill of the seaside away and to give us a good distance of sight. We were slightly worried that with a battle occurring nearby, even if it was a few days old at least like Sokka thought, there might be fire nation soldiers nearby. Katara and Aang went to sleep against Appa. We had been sleeping close to him lately as the bison somehow had some sort of greenhouse effect the closer you came to his body. Even Aang who had told me that he used his bending to keep himself warm, was sleeping on the giant bison.

I woke up in the middle of the night and sat up. Sokka was poking the fire, a serious expression on his face as he gazed into the flames. I knew that expression, whatever Sokka was seeing wasn't the fire. I sat up and slipped away, taking a seat beside him.

"Do you know what happened with the battle?" He asked, not even bothering to lift his gaze from the blaze.

"A little," I answered slowly, "they really didn't go into it too much."

"How much do you know?"

"No more than you will one day, probably less. My knowledge isn't perfect. There are a lot of things I don't know." I took my turn at staring into the fire.

"I worry about them, all the time." He told me, "I don't usually tell anyone but I'm scared. I'm scared that my dad is gone and I'll never see him again, I'm scared that this mission might fail and we might lose this war and I'm scared..." he trailed off and then looked at me, "that there will be nothing I can do about it. That I'll lose everything and I would have done nothing." I didn't even question myself, I spun and pulled him into a tight hug.

"That won't happen, even without me that didn't happen. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that as few people are hurt as I can manage." Sokka smiled in a pained way so I told him the only thing I could think of that would ease his mind.

"You're dad's fine. He's alive and thriving and by the end of spring you should have met him again." I told him. Sokka looked up at me, then smiled.

"Thank you." I nodded then told him something that I had been thinking of.

"I don't know if I'll be able to tell you guys everything I know, I'm scared too, scared that someone would act on my knowledge and that I'll be wrong or that... they'll do something rash that no one can fix. I'm scared that it would throw the world into chaos." Sokka nodded and leaned into me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and behind my back. After a second I did the same as we shared in each others We stayed that way for a little while, just comforting each other before I added something else.

"I don't think Katara's ever going to forgive me."

"Sokka?" I jumped, suddenly aware of the fact that we were no longer alone. My fan was halfway out when I realized that the person behind us was dressed in blue and wearing bandages. I didn't even need to see his face to know who it was. Bato.

"Bato?" Sokka asked, his voice raising in surprise as Bato stepped into the light. I righted myself and quickly took in his appearance. Bato was a tall man, almost if not six-foot tall. He was muscular with the typical water tribe complexion and unlike Sokka, Aang, Katara and I he had the true Asian eyes.

"Bato?" Katara asked, looking up and rubbing her eyes from where she had been disturbed.

"Who the what now?" Aang muttered as he sat up.

"Sokka, Katara." The two watertribe siblings both sprang up from where they were sitting (or laying in Katara's case) and ran to hug Bato.

"Look at how much you've grown." Bato stated with a warm smile.

"Is dad here?" Katara blurted out, blue eyes wide and excited. Bato shook his head.

"No, he and the others should be halfway across the earth kingdom by now." Bato looked up and his eyes landed on Aang and I. I could see confusion in them.

"Bato," Sokka spoke, noticing the look, "This is our sister Palartok and our friend Aang." I froze and looked at Sokka, mouth wide in shock. Had he just called me his sister? Bato looked me up and down then stepped away.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, but come, this is not the place for exchanging greetings. I'll help you pack," he smiled and turned back to look at Sokka, "and you'll tell me your story while we're at it."

While we packed up Sokka told Bato their story, starting from when they met me. I had been nervous about what Sokka would say, I shouldn't have worried. Sokka was quick to tell Bato that an earth kingdom ship was sunk which allowed me to relax some. I half-listened as Sokka told Bato our tale in intricate detail. Yet somehow he was able to complete the telling by the time our camp had been taken down. I stayed quiet and listened as Bato began telling us his story. The change of stories was so seamless I almost didn't realize when Bato began speaking.

"We discovered that the nun's of a nearby abbey were being bothered by a band of fire nation soldiers," Bato stated as we began walking back, "we decided to free the abbey. We ambushed the soldiers but during the battle one of the soldiers managed to get a direct blow to my shoulder," Bato gestured at the bandages he had wrapped around his right arm and his chest.

"I was badly burned, your father found me on the battlefield and carried me to the abbey himself. There the nun's took care of me. Unfortunately the mission couldn't be stopped for one man, the other warriors had to leave me behind." Katara and Sokka were walking side by side with Bato while Aang and I held the rear, Appa a few steps behind us. Momo landed on Aang's shoulder briefly before he flew away again.

"How many..." Sokka stumbled, his voice lowered forcing me to strain at my hearing to catch what was being said.

"Two besides me. This was our first battle where we lost anyone," Bato replied in an equally soft voice, "It was by sheer luck and the blessings of the spirits that allowed me to survive." I realized with a heavy heart that two watertribe men had been lost on this mission alone. I wondered how many had passed since they had left Bato here. As if sensing my question Bato spoke again.

"I've been here for nearly a month now but I'm glad that I was able to meet you, even if the circumstances leading to it where less then ideal." I chuckled lightly. Looking around my surroundings I suddenly recognized a stone wall and several green tiled roofs. It was the abbey. I allowed my eyes to wander around. About fifteen nuns wandered around, finishing the last of the jobs before they would turn in for the night. All the nuns were dressed in white and cream, the opposite of nuns in my world who typically wore black. I lifted my nose and breathed deeply. Strong flowery scents filled the area. I recognized a few from back home, aloe, rose, lavender, along with those that were completely foreign to me.

"Superior," Bato called his voice carried out over the abbey, across the cobbled courtyard and bouncing against the buildings. An elderly woman, dressed similarly to the rest of the nuns with only a slightly more decorative headpiece to mark her as higher, turned and smiled lightly.

"These are Hakoda's children," he gestured to Sokka and Katara, "and their companions." I nodded formally to the woman, unsure of how to act among the mother superior of this nunnery. Aang bowed formally before smiling.

"Welcome," the mother superior stated elegantly, "it is a pleasure to meet Hakoda's children, and welcome young avatar." Aang beamed. Finally he was getting some attention.

"Hi, it is an honour to be here. If-"

"What smells so good Bato?" Sokka asked, taking his own smell of the area. I already knew why it smelled so amazing here. This nunnery made perfume and cream, although the reason alluded me. Why would a nun make something that was so expensive? Did the proceeds go to some sort of charity? I doubted that they gave them out to just anyone the making of perfumes and creams was a big job and it took a long time. Even small ointments for healing that Kanna used, or creams like Katara's seaweed hand cream took days to finish, not to mention gathering or buying the materials. I couldn't imagine the amount of work that went into something as high quality as what I assumed the nuns made.

"Well maybe we should pour some on Appa, you know 'cause he stinks so bad." I winced. Appa stunk no more than a horse or any other animal. The joke made no sense. Everyone just stared at Sokka blankly, wondering what on earth he was trying to do. I had heard some of Sokka's jokes, he had some good ones every once in a while. That one didn't even qualify as a bad joke.

"You have your father's wit." Bato stated deadpan. I giggled, causing Sokka to send me a glare. Shaking his head Bato gestured at us.

"Come, you can sleep with me tonight." We followed him to one of the houses, clearly meant to be a guest's place. It had the usual sliding door and was only a single room. Still, it was a good deal more spacious than anything they had back in the watertribe, seven or eight people could sleep in it comfortably. That made me think and look back. If I was back at home this place would could as a good-sized bedroom for one person or a small cabin for four while camping. Here though, this cabin could hold up to ten men without being squished.

Bato had found a use for that extra room. The floor had three pelts laid across it, along with at least one hanging on the wall. In the back he had pitched a tent made from animal hide and in the centre he had a pot of stew simmering over a small fire. The fire itself was built into a pit in the centre of the floor so that the fire wouldn't burn it down. The sides of the pit and a small area around it was laid with stone to keep any sparks that might fly from spreading.

"It looks just like home." Katara gasped, quickly running inside to inspect the place. Sokka charged in after her while Bato followed behind, shaking his head with a knowing smile. When I stepped in the first thing I felt was a wave of comfort. I liked the feeling that I was getting from this place, it reminded me of the watertribe.

Bato took a seat behind the pot and pulled out several wooden bowls and spoons while Katara took of the lid to the pot.

"No way, stewed sea-prunes?" I sighed and sat down, leaning back. I wasn't hungry right now and I was good with going another few months before I had to eat another sea-prune. While it tasted amazing when there was nothing else, I wasn't sure whether I would be able to eat it. I leaned against the wall and listened. Katara and Sokka chatted with Bato, reminiscing about old times, times that I had never been apart of. I didn't mind so much, I was happy that they could be have moments like this.

I was woken up with a hand on my shoulder. Blinking I sat up, wincing from the strain in my neck.

"How long was I out?" I asked, wincing as I rubbed the sore muscle.

"All night," Sokka replied with a smile, "we couldn't even wake you to get into your sleeping bag." I groaned and stood, stretching dramatically. My back cracked several times, causing both Sokka and I to wince. Sokka smiled and then started to walk out of the cabin when I interrupted him.

"So do you want to spar before or after breakfast?"

* * *

We ended up sparing after breakfast and afterwards Bato invited us to come down to the boat again. Of course we accepted and followed him back down the to beach. The water lapped at the tar painted bottom of the boat as we approached.

"This boat is very precious to me," Bato explained as we came up to it, "it was built by my father."

"Is this the boat you went ice dodging in?" Sokka asked excitedly.

"Yep, it even has the scar," Bato gestured at a part of the boat that was thickly covered with tar, probably to reinforce the repaired spot, I figured. Bato turned to Sokka with a grin.

"How about you Sokka? You probably have some great stories about your time ice dodging." It fell silent.

"He didn't get to go," Katara pointed out, "he was still thirteen." Bato's face became serious.

"What's ice dodging?" Aang asked. I smiled softly. Ice dodging was an important part of the culture, it marked the passage into manhood. For Sokka to have missed it must have left an emotional void. He was expected to become a man at thirteen and yet never had the chance to prove that he was worthy of being one. I couldn't imagine what that was like.

"You know what, you're going to find out." Bato replied to Aang's question.

Bato helped each of us onto the boat. He clambered on last. His way of pushing the boat off involved a long rod, when he tried to push against the ground he winced. I quickly grabbed it from his hands.

"Don't hurt yourself," I warned, "the last thing you want is to cause more injury." Bato frowned but then nodded.

"Hey Katara, Aang, give me a hand with this." I called, grabbing the pole. The two came over, Aang beaming excitedly and Katara narrowing her eyes.

"I need your guys' help," I admitted, "while I push the boat out with this pole, some waterbending would be nice." Aang grinned.

"Sure! I'd love to help, all about helping!" I frowned, that behaviour was unusually perky, even for Aang. Then I remembered, the map. Aang had it, I had missed him returning (and possibly leaving) last night by falling asleep and instead of seeking him out and talking to him about it I had mock battled with Sokka. Katara just sighed.

We got the boat out with no trouble and soon enough we were in our places for ice dodging, or in this case, rock dodging. I was both terrified and excited. This was a new experience and it was one I couldn't wait to see. I had always been impressed by the ice dodging in the episode. Just like in the story Sokka was put at the tiller, Katara at one sail and Aang at the other. That left me and Bato left. Bato of course, being an adult couldn't participate but I was a fourth, an odd one out. I wasn't needed in this test. However to my surprise Bato called me up.

"Occasionally we have one or two too many boys for it to be an even three to a boat," he stated calmly, "and instead of forcing them to wait until next year or have someone who has already proven themselves go a second time we have another station." I stared at Bato in surprise. It made sense, but what sort of job was it. Both sails were controlled and as was the boat itself. What else was there.

It turned out that Bato had me set up as the metaphorical GPS for my companions. It would be my job to call out to Sokka the positions and sizes of the rocks. I had to be quick, give all the information to Sokka as he needed it so he could make the decisions. The job was perfect for me. I quickly stationed myself at the front of the ship, the prow if I was correct and instantly began calling out, telling them where the rocks were, left or right (port or starboard) and how close. Sokka in response shouted to Aang and Katara what to do while adjusting the tiller. It was hard work, my eyes were darting everywhere, Sokka was covered with sweat, Katara was gripping the rope with a determined look in her eyes and Aang was completely lost as to what direction he was supposed to go. Despite that, we somehow made it through. Sokka even pulled out the bending stunt which had scared Bato and I to no end.

Once we landed, with help from Katara and Aang once again Bato pulled out a small pot of blue paint and marked our foreheads. Sokka, the mark of the wise, Katara the mark of the brave, Aang the mark of the trusted and then it was my turn.

"You can't trust me." Or maybe not. I turned to see Aang wiping the paint away with his hand. Shoot.

"Of course we can Aang." Katara stated, looking confused. After all why couldn't we trust Aang?

"No you can't," Aang repeated before he held out the scrunched up piece of paper. My heart stopped.

"A messenger gave this to me from Bato." All hell broke lose. The second Sokka realized it was the map to his and Katara's father he began shouting at Aang, furious that the young airbender would betray us. Katara was quiet, then her glance turned to me and her eyes became steely.

"You knew." She mouthed at me. I looked away.

"Katara, Pala are you with me?" Katara turned, but I didn't. Sokka looked at me in surprise, nodded then walked off, Katara and Bato in tow. As soon as they were out of earshot Aang turned to me, his face furious.

"Why didn't you tell me!" He cried. I filched away, startled and upset by his anger.

"You could have warned me that keeping it was a bad idea! You know our future so why didn't you tell me?" He snarled. I had never seen Aang look so terrifying, even back when he went into the avatar state, it had been more sad than angry. I spun and took off running, into the woods in the opposite direction.

I stopped in a clearing and in fury screamed, kicking a small tree hard enough that it shook. I felt pain lance up my foot but I didn't care. Aang was right, I had betrayed their trust. I should have told Aang that keeping the scroll would have been bad. Instead I had wasted my time worrying about what Bato would think of me. I had broken their trust and this was my reward.

"It's a pity that you don't have anything that can make you useful, all you have is knowing the future... and reading. Do you regret that choice now?" My heart stopped. My eyes widened in shock and I slowly turned to see a familiar spirit of air standing before me.

"Lung."

* * *

_A/N:_

_I actually got a friend to agree to draw Maddi so for those of you who want to see an image of her you could. However, while she promised me she would have it done by the end of the month, I'm now not sure when she'll get it done. Sorry about that, I'll try to harass her to get it done sooner rather than later and I'll let you know when it is up. Thank you for your patience. Also let me know what you think about this chapter. I had to split the episode up into two because of the length but I'm personally very excited. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and that it meets your expectations._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	20. Tornado

Chapter 20  
Tornado

_"It's a pity that you don't have anything that can make you useful, all you have is knowing the future... and reading. Do you regret that choice now?" My heart stopped. My eyes widened in shock and I slowly turned to see a familiar spirit of air standing before me._

_"Lung."_

* * *

The deity of air smirked at me, his robes swirling into a white mist that spread around the clearing.

"It is a hard path you face," he stated, grey eyes shining, "knowing the future, your life will be full of so much pain."

"What do you want Lung?" I snapped. I wasn't in the mood to deal with the manipulative deity.

"I wish to give you a second chance, you don't understand how important bending is and you were trapped between three impossible choices. I don't blame you, but now you can choose what you really want" he paused and gave me a pitying look. It was the sort of look you give to a dying person, or a puppy who someone just kicked.

"I'll give you airbending."

"I thought the deal was a one time thing. Besides don't the other deities need to agree?" I pointed out. Despite the ache in my heart I clung to my logic. Lung snorted and swept up close to me.

"We never truly get along, it always come down a vote over the majority agreeing, well the minority deserves a say as well."

"I think for you to count as a true minority you need more then one person." I didn't flinch or move away, I wasn't going to back down. Lung shrugged in reply, not seeming to care.

"Yes, well, the truth is that my people are a minority, how am I supposed to repopulate an entire nation with one child? One who is destined to marry a waterbender? I need more than one person." I frowned. I may not have known a lot about Legend of Korra but hadn't there been two air benders born from Aang? Besides wasn't there a lot of airbenders later in the series. I couldn't remember.

"Give yourself a generation or two and you'll have a lot more." I stated as I turned away, "you don't need me to be an airbender, it's more trouble then you want." In a rush of air, Lung stood in front of me again.

"I need an Airbender who knows of my existence." He snarled. There was something feral in his eyes. My instincts shouted to run,, to escape. For once I listened and took off running in the opposite direction. Lung appeared in front of me again but I didn't stop. I right through him. For a brief second I blacked out.

_I stood on a tall hill, my head lifted high. Pride pulsed through me, giving me strength and power, more than I had ever known. Below me an army of men stood shaking at my feet. I could flick my hand and they would be little more than dust. I smirked, using the sword was more fun, I would be able to feel their death coming._

"To me!" I shouted, my voice amplified so that everyone in the valley heard it ring, my heart raced, "to me! My empire!" Behind me my warriors screamed, already prepared for triumph. Energy and excitement rushed through me as we charged.

Battle was an expression of beauty I had never experienced before. To be living flesh and bone instead of spirit was thrilling and addicting. I never wished to stop breathing. Breath, what gave humans their life and without me, breath and life would cease. I was the sole reason life existed. My people were the only nation who deserved to live.

"Lung, this has gone far enough." I turned, a thrill of excitement coursed through me. The other elementals stood behind me, not one looked happy. Agni looked furious, her hair blazed brilliantly, heat radiated from her form. Tui and La even stopped their eternal love-hate relationship for one to send identical glares at me. I turned slightly. To my left was Prithvi. My brother was glaring at me, but there was also disappointment in his eyes.

"Come brother," he stated, his voice, gravely as a mountain, "you've had your fun, it is time to return to our world." My joy turned to anger as heat rushed over me, which only strengthened my determination. I would never return to the spirit world, never.

"No. Join me," I persuaded, "you do not know what it is like to live. To feel a heart, for food to taste, to breathe or feel the warmth of a fire! It is the most beautiful thing. Compared to the humans our lives are empty husks. I might as well have never felt anything before and you just want me to return to you? Just like that?" Both fear and anger were courting with me. Emotions, to feel emotions was the greatest blessing being human had brought me. Prithvi however looked wary.

"Brother, you do not know what you're saying. You can only be human for so long, once this form is dead that will be the end."

"Not if I become like Ravaa!" I cried excitedly, "Just think spirits and humans living as one!"

"He's gone insane," La muttered, "humans cannot live with spirits inside them." She turned to me, black eyes drawing all light to them, "And Raavaa was different Lung, she had no choice. If it were to happen again she would not have been so foolish." My fear had lost overpowering, infuriating anger was all I had left and I embraced the emotion letting it guide my body, take control of my being.

"I'll show you, I'll show you all!" I turned, to come face to face with a man. He was in his fifties and covered in wrinkles. My anger was still to great to be replaced by fear, even though I knew him. This man was the one whom Raavaa had joined, this man was the one called the avatar.

I gasped and stumbled away as my consciousness split away from Lung, leaving me dizzy and weak. Lung himself didn't look any better. We stared at each other in horror. I couldn't wrap my mind around what I had just seen. I decided that I didn't want to see Lung after he recovered. I ran in the direction of the abbey, my heart pounding.

The doors of the abbey were closed but I could care less at the moment. I pounded the door hard with my hand, not caring about how it smarted. I stopped. Why was I acting like I was a sacred little girl? I shook my head violently to knock some sense into myself.

"Calm down Maddi, you're acting like an idiot." I muttered to myself, breathing in deeply.

"An idiot and a coward." I added as an afterthought. So what if Lung had scared me? There were going to be a lot of scary things on this journey and my knowledge wouldn't cover them all. One day I would be scared but my friends would be depending on me. I needed to be able to do what needed to be done for them, no matter how scared I was.

I took a deep breath and stepped away from the door as it opened.

"Hello?" One of the nuns asked. When she saw me she smiled.

"Ah, you're back, where are your friends?" I didn't even have a chance to answer. As I opened my mouth there was a loud screech behind me and a huge, brown animal bounded over my head. It landed in the courtyard of the nunnery and snarled. My heart froze. On the animal's back was Zuko, Iroh and a girl dressed in dark clothes who had to be June, the shirshu's master.

The nuns went into a panic, running around and screaming. They were ignored, I wasn't. Zuko's yellow eyes lit upon me and a triumphant expression crossed his face. I groaned, I finally understood why the Chinese called it a curse to live in interesting times.

* * *

Shirshu venom was not pleasant, nor relaxing, no matter what people said. My entire body felt like it had been put under the same numbing agent dentists used so I felt fat and tingly. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and I never wanted to experience it again. Upon seeing me Zuko had demanded that I tell him where Aang was. I refused and now I was in this position.

"I hate you," I mumbled into Nyla's fur as the giant creature carelessly bounced over a log, jostling and almost knocking me off. I hated feeling useless and this about as useless as a person could feel in my opinion.

"Pala?" Crap, this day was just getting worse by the minute. I groaned against the animal's fur. There was more conversation but I ignored it. My face turned a rich crimson in embarrassment over my position. This was not my day.

I heard Sokka and Katara speaking, both sounding unsure and a little overwhelmed. I couldn't quite make out their words.

"Where's the Avatar?" That was Zuko. Anger leapt through me. I was angry about acting like a coward, I was angry at Zuko. I was angry with my situation. Most of all I was angry with Lung. I couldn't understand what had happened that had caused me to see that vision (which I suspected was some moment in his past) and I didn't understand how a spirit was supposed to have become human. If I could have moved I would have shaken my head in disgust.

"RUN!" I started in shock as Sokka shouted. Nayla spun around so quickly I nearly went flying off. It was only because of a hand that grabbed the back of my shirt that I didn't fall off.

"Are you alright there?" The soft voice of Iroh asked me. I grunted in reply. As angry and confused as I was I just couldn't be angry at Iroh, he was to good of a guy to get mad at.

Sokka and Katara were loaded on beside me and Nyla was given Aang's scent off the scroll. Just like that we were off again.

* * *

The nuns scattered like hens at the sight of Nyla. Not that I blamed them, three humans hanging off the back of some animal like rabbits on a hunters stick was guaranteed to be alarming. Nyla moved around in circles, pacing. I didn't blame the creature for being confused, Aang's scent was just circling around and around above it.

It happened suddenly. Nyla reared up, Sokka, Katara and I fell off her back, not that we noticed besides the sight, our bodies were completely numb. I was aware of nuns dragging the water tribe siblings and I out of the way to lean against a wall. I grimaced. I hated being useless. Watching Zuko fighting Aang was antagonizing. I wanted to leap to Aang's aid but for now there was only one thing I could do. When I had first been struck I hadn't been able to even move my tongue. After five minutes I could. Fifteen minutes later I could speak freely.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Sokka asked. I could see his face muscles twitching as he tried to fight off the venom.

"For not telling you guys about your dad and Bato. Its just..." I fell silent. I knew why I had kept quiet but I no longer knew if I had made the right choice.

"I can't decide what I can tell you and what I can't. I'm constantly second-guessing myself and I don't know if anything I say will make a big difference. And if it does, then what? I might ruin your lives because I made a mistake." There was silence from the water tribe siblings. Despite the loud explosions and activity going on around us the lack of sound was oppressing.

"Even if that did happen, we wouldn't blame you," Sokka stated after a moment of thought, "even if we all died."

"Don't say that!" Katara and I exclaimed in tandem. Katara with a slight lisp from the remainder of the venom in her body. Sokka gave a wry smile.

"Fine, despite the danger that we are in and how we are the main targets of the fire nation we're going to be just fine and nothing bad will happen to us."

"Yes." I agreed emphatically, before the sarcasm clued in. I felt a blush hit my face like a slap as Katara and Sokka both started at me.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Then why are you here?" Katara asked. I looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"If we are fine by the end of this journey and nothing bad happens, why are you here? Why do you want to change things?"

"Because... because everything isn't all fine and dandy." I admitted, "Yes they could have been a lot worse but in the end everything turns out okay. I can only think of one character we know who dies and he's minor. I... I just wanted to make things easier on you guys. There is a lot that was very hard, like people who appeared to die but didn't, or mistakes that caused someone to be hurt, or friends who are kidnapped for a short time. I just" I took a deep breath, "I just want you to have a better life, if I can help make your life better than I'll do it. The problem is, I don't know what choices will make your lives better or worse and it scares me that I have all this power in my hands." The Superior approached quickly and we fell silent. In seconds she held a sharp smelling perfume under our noses. My body was suddenly all pins and needles as it slowly woke. Sokka stretched.

"We'll talk later," he assured me before turning to Superior.

"That thing sees with its nose, lets give it something to see." Everyone understood what Sokka was suggesting. I didn't even pause, running over and grabbing one of the heavy barrels. Within seconds the nuns pushed over three barrels. I was struggling with the one I had. I hadn't considered just how heavy these things would be. To my surprise Katara came over and helped me teeter the metal container onto its edge. The perfume spilled out, soaking the paving stones. Katara began bending. A wave of perfume was sent everywhere, five or six different scents mixed together into an overwhelming wave of scent. Even I found it blinding as Katara washed the wave of scents over the poor animal and everyone else in the courtyard. The Shirshu went wild, it screamed in pain as it lost its sight and went on a rampage, hitting several nuns with its tongue along with Zuko and June before it scrabbled over the walls to escape. I would have felt bad for Nayla if I wasn't still angry about being attacked.

Sokka strode back to us with the biggest grin on his face. I chuckled but held myself back. Aang rushed over to Katara's side and quickly apologized to her before turning to Sokka and then to me.

"Maddi, I'm sorry. I was scared and confused and I took it out on you." I shook my head.

"I don't blame you, knowing someone else knows your future isn't as nice as Aunt Wu portrayed," I admitted, remembering our time among the fortuneteller. I took a deep breath before I added.

"Besides I think it's time that we decide together on what I should act one and what I shouldn't." I closed my eyes and shifted uncomfortably, "we need to trust each other inexplicably." My friends paused a moment to think it over before nodding.

"I agree, how about we all talk it over on Appa later? Okay?" Sokka suggested. I smiled. I could share my burden with my friends and I could trust them. No one was perfect and Aang's anger was understood, what mattered the most was that we would do anything for each other.

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry for this late update. I am applying for scholarships and colleges so my life is haywire. Add to that a Halloween party with my friends and then work the next day at eight and you get to see what I've been going through. Anyway I got my friend to draw Maddi. However she's a bit picky and decided that she was going to draw Maddi not in ATLA style but My Little Pet Shop Style which is similar to School Time Shipping. Still, I'll put the link up when she posts it. It may not be what some of you wanted but I'm happy that she drew her, even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted. Artists tend to take creative licence. Anyway once again I am so sorry, my updates are going to be crazy. Hopefully I can update more consistently later. I want to address two other things as well. I'm creating a TMNT fanfition which the name is still being worked on, currently I'm calling it Girl in the Sewer so for you who like TMNT (2003, not 2012) you can check that out once I post it. Once again the I have no idea when that's going to come out. Number 2 I'm writing my own story not based on anyone else's. I would love to be able to publish it by the time I'm out of college although that's probably unrealistic. Anyway enough rambling from me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you will continue to do so as it goes on.

Princess Kassie Out.


	21. Firebender

Chapter 21  
Firebender

We sat on Appa in silence deep in thought. It was Aang who spoke first.

"You should tell us if anyone dies." I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Foe or friend? Or would you like both?"

"I'd say friends," Sokka stated after a moments thought, "you're telling us stuff we want to change right? So if anyone who is or becomes an ally dies you should tell us before time." I nodded. Sokka had a point, we could save Jet that way, he was the only good guy I could remember who died.

"What about if we get lost or trapped?" Katara suggested, "Maddi could tell us the quickest way out of there."

"Your overestimating my knowledge." I told her, "I won't know anything more than you know, less probably. I don't know whether you'll make a right or left turn in a forest. Besides, I think that might be too small. If someone got fatally injured or never made their way back, sure I would tell but the fact is, every time we get lost we get out sooner or later."

"What about if we lose someone for a long time, would you help us find them?" I bit my lip. Appa, Appa got kidnapped during Wa Shi Tong's library. If I could change that... would that change for the better or worse?

"I might take action for that one, I don't think I should tell you directly."

"How about bending masters." I looked up at Aang and frowned deeply.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused. Where was Aang going with this.

"You could tell me who all my bending teachers are right away, then we could go and find them. You know who's going to be my water, earth and firebending masters right?" I nodded, then paused as a name hit me. Jong Jong. I had forgotten Jeong Jeong and now that time was coming up fast.

"Yes I do... I... I don't know if it's a good idea. Some of your masters aren't ready to teach you yet Aang, some of them need time to realize that they aren't your enemy."

"That makes sense," Sokka stated. Katara, Aang and I all turned in surprise, raising our eyebrows in sync.

"What? Think about it, you're going to need a firebending teacher eventually, it might take some time for a master firebender to realize that his nation needs to get some sense knocked into it." I smiled, Sokka knew how to make a tense situation into a light situation. It was one of his charms.

"Still, I don't see why knowing who my bending teachers are is going to hurt any." Aang suggested, "That way the second they're willing we can find them instead of wasting time. Besides that's my firebending teacher, my water and earthbending teachers should be excited to help me."He turned to me and stopped.

"Aang," I sighed, "you... don't have the easiest time with teachers. You do eventually get all three but it takes time and it follows the order that your supposed to learn from." We were silent again for a moment.

"What would you like to change?" Katara asked softly. I turned in surprise to the waterbender as she looked at me solemnly.

"If there was nothing holding you back, what would you change about our future?" I closed my eyes and thought. I would rescue Appa from the sandbenders, I would stop Aang from having to become scared of fire because of Jeong Jeong, I would help Katara learn how to heal using waterbending, I'd knock some sense into Jeong Jeong, I'd save Jet's life, I'd save Yue, I'd get Zuko to join us sooner, I'd stop the firenation from getting the war balloons, I'd get Sokka his space sword and boomerang back, I'd stop Aang from promising Zuko that he would kill him, I'd stop Zuko from listening to his father, and I would make sure that none of my friends would be left behind.

"Now change it." I blinked in shock and returned my gaze to Katara. She gave a small smile and shrugged.

"I'm not upset anymore, I still don't like the fact you kept your secret hidden instead of telling us. You could have trusted us more, we're your family just as much as Aang. We made that promise on the Southern Air temple... but you didn't believe it." I smiled then reached over and pulled Katara into a hug. Next second I felt arms wrap around my back as Sokka and Aang joined in from the sides.

"From now on, we are family and we do everything together. Okay? No more secrets from any of us."

"Okay." I agreed before pausing, "And anyone else who joins our group. They're family too."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

It was time for dinner when we landed, Appa began happily munching on some bushes and tall grasses while Momo bounced about, picking up fruit and berries.

While the animals were enjoying themselves Katara noticed a pillar.

"We can learn about what the town below has from here." Katara explained to me as she began to read the various posters. I ignored most of them, instead walking up to the one announcing the Fire Festival.

"Come one and all to the great fire festival, parting with autumn and remembering beloved summer. Filled with fire bending demonstrations and fun for the whole family the Fire Festival is a must-see." I chuckled, the similarity to the TV infomercials from home was not lost to me.

"That sounds great, a fire festival! We can go see some real firebending."

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Sokka pointed out sarcastically "We can see some real firebenders too, including ones who want to kill us! Yay!" I snorted in laughter.

"Think about it Sokka, this may be the only time I'll get to see firebenders who aren't trying to kill or capture us." Aang explained, his grey eyes shining excitedly.

"Or we might have an entire horde of firebenders on our tail, especially because you're a wanted man and all." I raised my eyebrow and blinked in surprise as Sokka pulled out the wanted poster of Aang.

"This was on the other side," he explained, "everyone in that town will know what you look like. Look at this, a thousand crowns for the capture of the avatar!"

"So we wear disguises, I think we should go. What do you think Pala?" I sighed.

"I'm both for it and against it at the same time. Yes this is the only time Aang will get to see some firebending that's not aimed at one of us for a very long time... but at the same time its stage firebending, none of it is going to draw on the common techniques or show him how to actually accomplish it."

"Does anything else happen that we should know about?" Sokka prompted lightly. I groaned, this was going to get annoying, fast.

"Yes and no. Aang and Katara both learn some important things from this trip... but I'd rather it they learn in a different way."

"Well how about this?" Katara proposed, "We go into town, if you think something is going wrong you can tell us to get out of there right away. If you want us to leave we'll listen." I paused then nodded my agreement. Sokka sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I just know something bad is going to happen."

* * *

The trip in was actually surprisingly easy. We managed to sneak dark cloaks off a clothes line, even one that would fit Aang and get in. Upon entering we were able to get four free masks. Aang got a blue one with a happy face, Sokka a black and brown one with yellow and red highlights and a miserable expression. Katara a feminine one with a surprised expression and I got a green mask that was shaped like The Scream's face. It was a little disturbing but from inside the wooden mask I didn't have to see it. Still, just for fun I placed my hands on the sides, just to emasculate the famous painting.

Sokka ran and began picking various foods from venders, I was able to steer him away from the fire flakes and pick up one bag myself.

"They're really spicy," I warned, picking up one and carefully popping it in my mouth. The amount of spice was ridiculous and it took a lot of control to keep my eyes from watering. It reminded me of the one time my friends and I had played roulette with chocolates. We had all pitched in and ordered them via mail. When they arrived we were thrilled. Twenty bullet shaped chocolates, inside one a ghost pepper. I unfortunately was the girl who got the ghost pepper. Just remembering how bad that had been made the fire flake much easier to bear.

We wandered through, quite interested in everything that was going on. The fire lord puppet burning a puppet of the earth kingdom soldier was disturbing to say the least. Then we found ourselves facing the fire nation magician. A flash of fire and five doves flew away. It was incredible and he was quite good at his act. Still I was determined to keep my eyes out for someone else, someone I knew was following us.

I paid close attention to the crowd but I didn't see him anywhere. What was even more infuriating was that I had no recollection of the man's name. I remembered his cartoon appearance and therefore I could base my assumption on what he appeared as in real life.

"Oh! me me me!" Aang called. I sighed and turned. The excited airbender wanted to be part of the performance. I knew why, he wanted to get a close look at the bending forms. Not that I blamed him. Still the man ignored Aang and pointed to Katara.

"How about you pretty lady." Katara quickly backed up, raising her hands and shaking her head.

"Awe, look at that, she's shy folks." There was laughter and someone pushed Katara up close to the stage. There the magician pulled her up, and gently bound her to the chair with a strip of silk.

"You are my captured princess." He spoke, his voice projecting out over the entire crowd. It impressed me how he could make his voice heard even without a mic.

He proceeded to go through the motions of capturing, attempting to tame and the dragon escaping. He turned it towards Katara.

"We got to save her!" Aang yelped. I grabbed his shoulder.

"It's an act." I hissed, "he wont hurt her." Aang calmed somewhat, but remained tense. As did I. Luckily I was right. The man last minute created a sword out of fire and slashed it through the dragon. The dragon vanished in a flood of confetti. The performer let Katara down, thanking her for her cooperation and apologizing if he scared her. He finished by kissing her hand and helping her down from the stage where Aang, Sokka and I grabbed her and hurried away.

"Are you okay Katara?" Aang asked desperately.

"I'm fine Aang," Katara comforted, she was shaking slightly so I pulled her into a hug. It was a relief that she wasn't angry at me anymore.

"What was supposed to happen?" Sokka asked me curiously.

"Aang jumps on stage, destroys the dragon and the guards recognize him as the avatar. We're chased around the city and rescued by-" I cut myself off as I recognized the man who had been following us.

"There he is." I added in a low tone, gesturing with my head in the man's direction. It didn't help that he stood out as he wore no mask but a red bandanna over his mouth. It made him stand out pretty clearly.

"Him, who is he?" Aang asked curiously.

"A fire nation runaway, he saw you and wanted to bring you to his master, an admiral who left the fire nation because he disliked what the fire nation had become."

"So I can get him to teach me!" Aang yelped and before I could warn him away zipped over to our stalker.

"He's going to get himself killed one day." I grunted under my breath before following the hyperactive bender along with Sokka and Katara.

"How did you know?" Our stalker asked Aang in shock, "Are you enlightened as Jong Jong?" Aang opened his mouth but stopped himself. Finally shrugging.

"I just knew." I heard the familiar smack of a hand hitting wood and Sokka's yelp of pain, remembering he had a mask on a touch to late. I couldn't help but snigger.

* * *

"I serve a man. More than a man really, he's a myth, but he's real, a living legend, Jeong Jeong the Deserter. He was a Fire Nation general, or wait, was he an admiral?" I groaned. Chey, the second runaway from the fire navy was a soldier who had come from one of the fire nation colonies. While he meant well he had never been educated to do anything other than fight and I was getting frustrated with him. I wasn't the only one.

"We get it he was highly ranked." Sokka replied in a dull tone as we followed the excited man.

"Yeah! Way up there! But he couldn't take the madness any more. He's the first person ever to leave the army - and live." Chey turned to look at us and shrugged. "I'm the second, but you don't get to be a legend for that. That's okay though. Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius. Some say he's mad - but he's not! He's enlightened."

"I doubt he's enlightened." I stated coldly. I was not a fan of Jong Jong, mostly because of how he took the deeds of the humans and saw those traits in the element itself. He believed that his own element was evil when it was merely the ones who wielded it.

"He is to enlightened." Chey replied in a snippy manor. I snorted. Great, now we were going to start playing 'is not'.

"I think we should see him." Aang suggested to me, turning with big eyes. I looked down at him and raised my eyebrow.

"No. Jeong Jeong is the wrong man for you Aang."

"He's the perfect person to train the Avatar! That's why I followed you into the festival so I could bring you to him!" Chey replied quickly.

"He may be the right man to teach the Avatar, but he is the wrong man to teach Aang." I replied harshly. Chey recoiled as if shot. Then confusion crossed his face. I could see a similar confusion in the eyes of my companions but I refused to explain.

We were quiet for a while, still following Chey to Jeong Jeong. Mostly because I knew that we were going to come across people who would stop us from turning around in the first place.

"Don't move!" There they were. Several tribesmen holding long spears pointed at us emerged from the bush.

"This way." The leader insisted. Slowly we began walking again, in single file... in the same direction. I was beginning to wonder about the genius who was bringing us straight to Jeong Jeong when we were already going straight to Jeong Jeong.

"Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Avatar." The lead tribesman stated. I sighed and ignored the rest of the talking, except the name of the leader, Lin Ye. Once again I had forgotten the name of a character. Not that it wasn't expected, I couldn't remember the name of every character who was given a name and showed up once. I allowed myself to become completely immersed in my thoughts. The only light came from the large moon that glowed eerily down upon us. It was cold, mist rose from the river below adding to the eeriness of the night. I guessed we were probably in mid to late November by now. That caused me to blink as I did the mental calculations. That meant that I was turning eighteen in two to three months. I had been born of February seventeenth 1995. That realization shocked me to my core. Two to three months and I would turn eighteen. I chuckled as it occurred to me that would actually place my birthday a little before or after meeting Toph. That made me wonder. I knew that Katara had her birthday just a little before I arrived but when was Sokka's, Aang's, Toph's and Zuko's birthdays? Would they too grow a year older? Did they just not celebrate them so it wasn't covered in the series? I could understand how Aang and Zuko wouldn't celebrate their birthdays during the journey. Zuko having been banished and to focused to care much and Aang... well if it was later in the storyline then he would have been too focused to pay much attention. Besides he had already missed a hundred birthdays. But what about Sokka? Was he born in an earlier month then Katara, and if so then it would have to be after August or early September so... late September early October perhaps?

"You go. You stay here." I blinked myself out of my thoughts to see Chey vanish down the slopes of the river to a small hut where I knew Jeong Jeong was.

"Pala, help me with the sleeping bags," Sokka called from Appa where he was unloading our stuff.

"Sure." I replied as I walked over, "Why though?"

"How long are we going to be here?" I shrugged. I honestly didn't know, I just knew it was enough time for the companions to fall asleep which really wasn't much time at all.

"I have a feeling we might be here for a while."

* * *

Later I was woken by a cry.

"No, wait." I jolted upright. Sokka was asleep along with Katara. Aang wasn't there but Chey was.

"Where's Aang?" I asked, scrambling out of my sleeping bag.

"He went to see Jeong Jeong." Chey admitted. I grit my teeth and tore out of the door just in time to see Aang vanish into Jong Jong's reed cabin. I stood there for a second in shock. Hadn't I made it clear to Aang that he would get his teachers in order? That meant he needed to master water and earth. I grunted in frustration and hurried down. I was going to stop this before things came to a head. Then I would help Katara realize she had the ability to heal. As I drew closer to the door of Jeong Jeong's hut I heard the deserter speak.

"Water is cool and soothing, earth is steady and stable, but fire. Fire is alive, it lives and breathes. Without the bender the rock will not throw itself. But without the bender fire will grow and spread and destroy everything in its path."

"Your right, fire is alive. Your wrong about everything else though." I stated as I walked in. Jeong Jeong tensed and looked up at me.

"Who are you?"

"My name's Palartok, well in the water tribe. My given name is Madison." I explained.

"You do not appear water tribe... did your water tribe friends give you another name?" Jeong Jeong asked in confusion.

"Why does everyone focus on my name?" I snapped, "Besides, I didn't come here for a pleasant chat, I came here to take Aang back. We're heading for the Northern Water Tribe in the morning. We should be able to reach it within another four days if we push ourselves." I added, not mentioning the time it would take us to help Teo and his people free themselves from the fire nation's reign.

"Please." Jeong Jeong stated sweeping his hands out as if gesturing Aang away.

"Thank you, I'd thought you would understand that you weren't the right man to teach the Avatar." Jong Jong straightened, staring at me in shock.

"What?"

"Well as he put it... what was that thing you told Katara, Aang? Back in the South Pole when you were trying to get her into that ship? Ah, yes. To be a bender you have to let go of fear." I grinned viciously at Jong Jong. I understood his anger towards the other men of his nation. I even understood his disgust and sorrow for being part of such an ugly war. What I did not understand was turning his feelings into a fear of his own bending and yet still willingly firebend. It was hypocrisy at the best, downright delusional at the worst.

"I'm pretty sure learning from someone who fears his own bending would be a very negative experience. After all the student learns much more than just how to bend from his teacher. He learns how to look at life." I took Aang by the arm and helped him up.

"We'll be on our way now. Thank you very much for allowing us to rest here by your riverside."

"Maddi." Aang pulled his arm from my hand and looked at me in confusion, then turned and looked at me in confusion, "Is it true?"

"Yes. Jeong Jeong is fearful of his own bending and most importantly, that you lack the control or the will to control your bending. He had one very bad student who ruined his outlook on firebending along with seeing the horrors of war. He has formed a bias against his own bending. He no longer sees the destruction that all bending can cause. Air can form tornadoes and hurricanes, it feeds fire and allows the blaze to grow. Earth can have landslides and earthquakes. The earth moves all the time, we just can't feel it. Water can form hurricanes, tsunamis and floods. Each disaster is caused by one of the three other elements yet you don't see the benders of the other peoples fearing their own bending." I turned away from Aang again to face the elderly bending master.

"Fact is Jeong Jeong, you may not remember this but there has been at least one time in history that every bending ability has attempted to take over the world. Fire, earth, water and yes, even the peaceful airnomads were once as obsessed with war as the firenation itself. I may not be a bender myself but I see the beauty in fire. Without fire humans would never have survived, we would have never been able to make tools, learn to farm or raise livestock, make our own cloths. We need every element to help us survive and we need every element to have balance. And we need to see that every element has its darker side, not just the element that is waging war at the time. If we can see that then maybe this world will have peace." With that I turned, walked out of Jeong Jeong's hut. I didn't look back once.

* * *

_A/N: Well Maddi is becoming braver and starting to actively make changes. What do you think are going to be the consequences of her actions. What do you think will happen now? I'd love to hear what you think. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the chapter._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	22. North Star

Chapter 22

North Star

_Sokka_

I leaned over Appa's saddle, bored out of my mind. It was two days after leaving the Northern Air temple. Pala was dozing a little ways from me, curled into a ball. She always seemed to try to sleep her problems away, as if the darkness could give her peace. I was different, I couldn't sleep away my problems, but I could distract myself.

"Can Appa fly any higher?" I questioned, looking down. We were barely feet above the water.

"Appa's tired. He's been flying two days without food! I'd love to see you carry us like that." Aang retorted angrily, sitting up from his place on Appa's head. We were all frustrated and stressed. It was nearly midwinter and we hadn't found the Northern Water Tribe yet. That, and none of us could forget what had happened at the Northern Air temple.

"I'd be glad to," I replied sarcastically, "climb on everybody the Sokka express is ready for take off." I blinked as I felt a sudden weight land on my back. Turning, I saw Momo sitting innocently there, blinking up at me with big green eyes.

Annoyed I shooed him off. Pala rolled over and muttered under her breath. I couldn't tell if she was talking in her sleep or slightly awake. Despite her denials, she did talk in her sleep… and snore. Although she was hardly the loudest I had heard. A memory of my dad snoring caused me to smile briefly. Then Appa dipped. I yelled as the giant dragged his paws in the water. Pala shot up, suddenly wide awake from the rough jostling.

"I'm awake!" She yelped brown eyes wide. Katara smiled.

Appa jolted suddenly, as if he had tripped, causing us to cry out in shock. Pala shrieked in shock, as Appa tried to regain balance. A spear of ice shot from the ocean below, forcing Appa to dodge, sending us spinning. The flying bison hit the water hard, only to be frozen there. Katara was the first to speak as several large canoes and a barge appeared from behind some of the larger icebergs.

"Waterbenders! We found the water tribe!" I grinned, happy that two days of boredom were over. Katara and Aang looked just as excited… Pala didn't. Her face was pulled into a stubborn frown, her forehead creased into wrinkles and her eyebrows thrust down over her eyes. I wondered how well she was taking the advice I had given her back at the temple. While one of the Warriors began to talk with Aang I kept a close eye on Pala. She was defiantly unhappy.

"Welcome Avatar, and who are you three?" The same man asked, distracting me.

"I'm Sokka, son of Hakota, chieftain of the southern water tribe. These are my sisters, Katara daughter of Kya wife of Hakota and Palartok daughter of..." I trailed off, turning to Pala to ask for her mother's name. To my surprise she was gripping her bow tightly, knuckles white as she stared at me. I shrugged it off and turned back to the man. My father had taught me what was expected if I ever came across other water benders not from our tribe. Katara leaned over and whispered into her ear. Pala stopped and gave Katara a strange look before replying.

"Coral, my mom's name is Coral." I looked at her in surprise. While not a strictly water tribe name Coral was fairly popular for those who wanted something different. Of course it appeared among the earth kingdom as well, especially near the ocean.

"Welcome brother and sisters," the man stated warmly, "my name is captain Anik and this is my fleet. If you would like we will escort you to our tribe."

"That would be appreciated," Katara added grinning at me, "We'd probably get lost otherwise." I huffed, indignant at the suggestion. I wasn't that bad with directions.

We followed Anik with Appa swimming so as to not outpace the canoes. Katara was looking around, beaming in excitement and chatting with Aang. Pala on the other hand walked over to me and sat down.

"You didn't have to do that." She stated as she began to polish her bow, checking to make sure it was supple and not going to become hard and crack from the cold.

"Do what?" I asked in confusion. What was she talking about?

"Introduce me like I was your sister." She explained with a roll of her eyes.

"Technically, you are. You're water tribe, that makes you my sister."

"I was adopted into the water tribe Sokka, not born into it." She protested. I was about to retort that it didn't matter when her eyes widened. The awe on her face caused me to turn as well. In front of us was the Northern Water Tribe.

Jutting straight up from the water was a huge wall of ice, polished with the smooth perfection that only master waterbenders could create. Towers and large buildings rose up, taller then the walls, shining. Everything was made of ice or snow. I watched in fascination as several waterbenders broke off a section of the wall, lowering it below the waters surface so we might pass through. It was amazing, little rainbows glinted off the perfect surface as we headed under the bridge.

I could tell that Aang, Pala and Katara were just as awestruck as I was. It was impossible not to be. This place was the size of Omashu but made completely of ice. It occurred to me that the Southern water tribe might have looked like this at one time, before the war, before we lost our benders. For the first time in my life I mourned the loss that our home had suffered.

As Appa swam along we passed a canoe. My eyes were instantly caught by the girl sitting in them. Her hair was a silvery white, a colour associated with the elderly but she couldn't have been older then me. Her skin was pretty and coloured a pale brown. She turned and smiled at me with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. She was beautiful. My heart began beating an unnatural rhythm as I ran to Appa's tail so as to keep looking at her.

"...beautiful." I heard Katara state.

"Yeah," I replied dreamily, "She is."

* * *

_Maddi_

The Northern Water Tribe made me think of Venice. While I had never been to that particular city it had been one of the places I had wanted to visit. It was ironic, I finally got my chance to explore the world and it wasn't even my own. Sokka suddenly stood and rushed past me to Appa's tail. I turned, curious to see his eyes fixated on Yue's back. I chuckled and turned back to look at the architecture.

We were guided through to a place here the buildings were smaller, I realized in shock it was a residential area. Families and couples strolled along while kids ran everywhere causing trouble and getting underfoot. Anik gestured at one house. Just like the others it had a pair of heavy animal skins as a door.

"This will be your house for your stay here," Anik told us, "We would be honoured if you would come to the feast tonight. I will send a man to bring you to the feast. Let him know your decision." Katara began unloading and I joined her as Sokka and Aang talked to Anik. The house was small, two rooms, the main living area and a 'bathroom' which was really just a toilet as the bathtub was hidden behind a curtain made from a large animal pelt. In fact the entire inside of the house was made of pelts and leather. It was strange and yet familiar as it reminded me of the Southern watertribe, just a more fancy version.

After we finished unpacking we set up our new home to our liking. Aang had taken off to make sure Appa would be comfortable in the Yak stables which left the three of us to finish the final touches. I was about to sit down and do some more reading of my scroll when Katara spoke up.

"So what's going to happen?"

"Pardon?" I asked, not sure I had heard her correctly.

"What's going to happen here?" She asked, "Who's going to be my waterbending teacher? Am I going to have two because I want to learn healing as well, it sounded fascinating." Katara looked so excited, I felt awful for what was about to happen.

"And what about that girl? Do you know who she is?" Sokka asked me, completely ignoring his sister. I smiled, Sokka was obviously love-stuck.

"That girl was Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe." I replied smoothly, watching Sokka's reaction. Despite how the series had portrayed it, Sokka was piratically a prince, therefore he was practically of equal station to Yue. I turned to Katara, unsure if I should tell her or not.

"Katara... the northern tribe is very different then the southern. Especially in values concerning women." I shifted uncomfortably. Katara frowned, unsure of what I was suggesting, but I could tell that Sokka knew what I meant.

I was saved from having to explain further by Aang returning with Momo perched on his shoulder/

"You should see the stables Katara!" he cried, "they're amazing , come on I want to show you." Sokka was quick to interfere.

"That may not be the best idea Aang, it's probably only an hour before the feast. If we want to go we'll have to stay here." Aang deflated but nodded and began chatting at Katara. I shook my head and went back to my scroll.

_Day 60,_

_I have been one of the few members to be transferred out of the small town and into the navy. I hate water, no matter where I go it surrounds me, threatening to extinguish my life as easily as my fire. I spend most of my time seasick. But I thank every spirit watching over me that I am not going to one of the poles. There you can have months of darkness. Months without a sun... I would commit the ultimate dishonour to avoid such a fate. What did I do to deserve this? I was born on the land, raised on the land and I wish to die on the land. I do not understand how so many other firebenders can not only survive but enjoy being seafarers. How I long for home. _

_Day 63, _

_The last two days have been insane as a man of royal standing has come to inspect our boat. Prince Iroh..._

I jolted out of my reading in surprise. The author of this diary scroll had met Iroh? Back before he was a prince and not a general. The realization shocked me. Here was an incredible opportunity to get to know what Iroh was like before Zuko, before he had even had Lu-Ten. The thought both thrilled and terrified me, like I was sneaking around behind his back. Still I couldn't exactly stop myself.

_Prince Iroh is a strange young man. He's a few years older then me and strides about with the utmost confidence. Despite his bearings he smiles and jokes with the men as easily as if they were old school friends. Even stranger is if you have a cup of tea he seems to expect that you would have made him a cup too. Afterwards he will comment on how well the tea was made and spend a good fifteen minutes giving you tips. Eccentric is the term I've heard whispered around the ship but doesn't one have to be old to be eccentric? He is such a confusing man, I honestly don't know what to make of him. _

"Honourable guests have you decided?" I shot up in surprise and quickly tucked the scroll away. It was time for the feast.

* * *

I woke the next morning to Aang, Katara and Sokka all getting ready to go their various ways. The feast last night had passed by with little interest to me, although I had corrected Katara when she had laughed at Sokka saying he was a prince. After all, he was the son of the chieftain. After that Yue and Sokka talked and Katara and Aang scoped out Pakku as their future teacher, although Katara kept sending me confused glances. She was probably trying to figure out what I had told her earlier about the tribe's outlook on women being different. Sokka had been invited to join the other young warriors which meant I was going to be alone all day as I knew the second Sokka was free he would run straight for Yue. I was having conflicting feelings about the young watertribe princess as she was facing her death approaching quickly. I didn't know what to do, yes I was going to do everything in my power to save her but that didn't mean it would be enough. I couldn't forget how I had left Suki back at Kyoshi Island, concussed with a broken leg because I had changed things. Still, I couldn't live my life in fear.

"Sorry for waking you," Katara apologized when she noticed I was awake. I shrugged and propped myself up on one elbow.

"So when are you planning on learning how to heal?" I asked her, I wasn't sure how she was going to take being told no. From my experience, Katara didn't deal well with that.

"I don't know. I want to know how to fight but from what you've said I'm going to need to know healing right?" I nodded, Katara learning healing was vitally important, even if it was basic. It would save Aang's life. I yawned, still tired and motioned for them to go. As they left I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

I woke up a few hours later with a sigh and sat up. I was going to need to work on something during my time here as, unlike my friends I had nothing to do. After a moment I decided to work on my archery. I had been practising with it for a while but so far had no reason to use it in battle. Here though, a long range weapon was going to be needed very soon.

I spent the rest of the day working on my aim and technique. It was weak from lack of use but I wasn't going to just give up. I needed the practice. After I hit a bulls eye three times in a row I retrieved my arrows and stepped back further. I kept working at it, intensely focused on nothing else but the steady twang of the bow.

"You're not bad," I jumped in surprise, my arrow whizzing to the far left of my target. Turning I looked to see a girl, a good few years younger then me sitting on a pile of snow.

"Thanks," I replied lightly retrieving and notching the arrow again.

"It must be interesting to travel the world, especially one that is so different from your own." My arrow missed again as I spun to stare at the girl who stood behind me, an innocent expression on her face.

"Who are you, how do you know?" I snapped, knocking my bow and pointing it in her direction. To my surprise she rolled her eyes.

"Please, you couldn't hit me with that. Even if you did it would pass right through, see?" She walked forward and stuck her hand straight through my arrow. I blinked then lowered the weapon.

"You're another spirit." She laughed at my statement as if I was the funniest person in the world.

"Of course I am, do I look water tribe to you?" I paused and this time took a better look. While she was wearing the water tribe's usual outfit and her hair was dark that was the end of their similarities. Her skin was nearly translucent and glowing in a silvery light and her eyes were pure silver with no whites or irises. Despite the fact she looked Aang's age I could somehow feel that her age spanned millennium.

"My name is Nuuttuittuq, I am the Northern Star." I sighed and sat down on a pile of snow.

"So what do you want from me?" I asked with a glare, not bothering to say her name. I was tired of spirits interfering with me. Besides her name was impossible to pronounce.

"I wished to check up on you and let you know that you are changing this world." I grunted. I already was aware the world was was changing. I had seen small changes quite often.

"Wait, what do you mean check up on me? We've never met."

"That you remember. Remember you were unconscious in the spirit world for quite some time" The spirit smiled warmly, "And you have me to thank for the fact you speak the common tongue at all." I froze and turned to her in shock.

"You gave me the ability to speak the common tongue? Why? Do you know why I'm here?" I demanded, my heart beating erratically.

"I saved your life, I changed your direction in the spirit world, I changed your native tongue so you could understand what was said to you and I was the one who made sure you were found by Sokka before you died from exposure. But I did not take you from your world. I did not create the disaster that brought you here and I do not know who did or even if it was on purpose at all." I sighed.

"I'll be seeing you soon Maddison, and good luck." She paused a second before she had to leave.

"If you cannot pronounce my name, then call me something else. A nickname perhaps." She smiled and then vanished into thin air.

I turned back to my bow and arrows, left abandoned on the snow. I retrieved them and for a moment or two just stared off into space. Finally giving up practice as a lost cause I put my weapon away and walked home.

* * *

I'm sorry that this update is so late everyone. Life has been busy. My goal though is to have the next three chapters up for you to read before the end of December. Once again sorry and let me know what you think of this chapter.

Princess Kassie Out.


	23. The War Begins

Chapter 23

The War Begins

The last three weeks had been crazy. I spent most of my time either reading or practising my fighting with fans or bow. Katara had managed to get Pakku to agree to teach her, he insisted that she was the only exception He even said that she was blessed by the spirits and supposed to be a girl fighter. The water tribe for the most part believed him. Somehow she not only managed to work with Pakku from sunrise to noon but to head straight over the the healing huts the second her sessions were finished and learn healing as well. Aang was busy trying to learn waterbending and Pakku had set aside a good portion of his day just solely focused on Aang and teaching him. Sokka had completely immersed himself in warrior training and becoming close friends with Yue. It made me feel useless, like I didn't really have a purpose here.

I was practising some of the forms I had learned on Kyoshi under Suki's tutelage when I heard it, the sound of a gong reverberating over the entire North. My heart dropped to my stomach as I pushed my way out of our temporary home and into the streets. Dark clouds filled the sky and black snow fell down from above. The fire nation was here. I quickly gathered my weapons and rushed into the streets.

"Maddison. Stop." I froze and turned. Behind me stood the familiar form of the spirit of the North Star who I had taken to calling Nut, standing behind me.

"What is it? Because in case you hadn't noticed I kind of have to get going." I barked. Nut sighed.

"If you can, save Yue." I raised an eyebrow.

"I was already planning to." I replied, stepping out of the way for a bunch of Northern Water Tribe members to rush past me.

"Good. Please do." Nut stated with a firm nod. I nodded and then took off running again. I could ask the spirit later why she was so insistent.

The inside of the meeting hall was full of people, all looking worried or scared. Knowing where my friends would be I looked at the base of the pillars, finally finding them at the middle left pillar. I joined them and waited for the few thousand people of the Northern Water tribe to calm down.

Chief Arnook came to stand on the dais and raised his hands. He addressed his people with an air of command and power that caused me to envy him. He was a natural born leader.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe," I looked around. Hundreds of faces, men, women, children. And many would never be seen again.

"but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us!" The chief paused, allowing the call to sink into the air then continued.

"I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."

"Count me in!" Sokka called, shooting to his feet. I grimaced, I knew Sokka wasn't going to actually go on the mission but it didn't ease how I felt about him volunteering. There was the chance he would somehow remain.

It was then that I noticed I was getting odd looks. It confused me for a while. It then occurred to me that I had my weapons on my person. This was a culture that wouldn't let women waterbenders fight, why would they let non-benders fight?

As soon as the meeting was done I booked it out of the hall as fast as I could manage. The last thing I needed was someone taking my weapons away because I was a girl. Of course that also meant that I couldn't join my friends on the battlements. The only reason Katara was allowed was because she was 'blessed by the spirits'. While I was glad Pakku had created an excuse it would have been nice if he would have used the same excuse on me. I sighed, I would have to lay low until the fight began. So be it, I was ready and I was going to help, rules or no rules.

* * *

_Sokka_

"Men, you'll be infiltrating the Fire Nation Navy. That means that you'll all need one of these uniforms." Chief Arnook stated and gestured at a boy about my age. He had the typical water tribe appearance, blue eyes, brown hair and skin. I took one look and began to laugh. The outfit was ridiculous, black shoulder spikes, a red chest plate, not to mention the ridiculous get up with the helmet.

"What's your problem?" The guy wearing the uniform demanded. I felt bad for the guy, it had to embarrassing wearing that getup.

"Fire navy uniforms don't look like that." I pointed out, trying to hide my sniggers so not to wound the man's pride any more then it was. He couldn't take a hint though.

"Yes they do." He challenged me, "These are real uniforms, captured from actual fire nation soldiers."

"Well they don't look like that anymore. When did you get those, a hundred years ago?" The sarcasm slipped into my tone. I couldn't help it, this was ridiculous, we would never fit in among the fire nation warriors looking like that. Chief Arnook looked properly chastised as he muttered under his breath.

"Eighty-five." There was awkward silence for a moment.

"How can we trust this guy? Such bold talk for a new recruit." The guy wearing the suit demanded. I felt myself bristle at the comment. I had felt bad for the guy but now I was thinking he needed to get off his high horse.

"Sokka is from our sister tribe, Hahn. He is a capable warrior and I trust his input. Now our first objective is to determine the identity of their commanding officer." I snorted. There was only one guy who was chasing after Aang who had this sort of power. Besides Pala had said that Zhao wasn't about to give up easily.

"His name is Zhao. Middle aged, big sideburns, bigger temper." Once again the sarcasm surfaced. Not that I minded, it was part of who I was.

"Sokka," chief Arnook stated, "I want you to tell everything you know to Hahn. He's leading this mission. Hahn, show Sokka your respect." Chief Arnook paused then smiled.

"I expect no less from my future son-in-law." My heart jumped in shock as I turned to stare at the cocky jerk. This was the guy marrying Yue? The guy that Yue had been so reluctant to marry? The guy who Yue had told me she wished that she wouldn't have to marry. I couldn't believe it.

"Princess Yue is marrying you?"

"Yeah, what of it?" He asked, turning to look at me with a disinterested look on his face.

"Nothing," I grumbled, "Congratulations."

* * *

_Maddi_

I watched as soldiers escorted the women and children of the city to the residential areas. I was careful to keep my weapons hidden while I wandered about, trying to look like I was with those that the warriors believed would be no use in battle. It was dull and I was bored out of my mind. The waiting, the worry and feeling the intense fear that seemed to spread among those here like a plague only undermined my confidence in myself. I needed to get away.

I slipped out of the residential district, creeping past the warriors who were protecting the women and children. They were in the safest place manageable but I knew that no place could be truly safe, not during a war. I retrieved my bow, quiver of arrows, and fans from their hiding place and after making sure that they weren't damaged from the cold hurried to the city.

It was quiet, the city had the feeling of abandonment, like no one lived there anymore. It was so empty and hollow. It was eery.

"So what are you planning." I jumped, spinning in shock to see Nut standing behind me and sly smile on her face.

"You scared me." I pointed out sharply. Nut just laughed.

"You should not have been so on edge."

"What do you want?" I replied sharply. I wasn't in the mood for guessing games. Nut laughed again and leaned back.

"I just wanted to remind you that you need to save Yue." I stopped and narrowed my eyes.

"Why are you so determined to protect Yue? What does she mean to you?" Nut glared and suddenly I was facing a woman, full of ancient power who stood as tall as a mountain.

"That girl is a threat to me if she dies." I frowned deeply. How on earth could Yue be a threat to this spirit? She would become the spirit of the moon, how could she be competition for the north star?

"How." I demanded. I needed answers. Had Nut saved me only to stop Yue's death, if so why was this such a big deal. I didn't understand.

"You seem to believe that because La is in the form of a fish that she is mortal. As if a spirit could become as mortal as one of your kind. Our mortality is nothing like the kind you know. You cannot kill a spirit, we only fade away when what we represent no longer exists. Your legend predicts Zhao will attempt to kill La. He would succeed and Yue would sacrifice herself for the betterment of her people." Nut leaned forward, silver eyes intense despite their blankness.

"But while her sacrifice would be honoured she would be the spirit of the moon for no more then ten human generations. After that La would be reborn and Yue would be... demoted into the first lady of the moon." My stomach dropped. I understood now. Nut was the first most lady serving under La, if Yue would take the position Nut would be the second lady. Not nearly as important. That was when another thing occurred to me. Ten generations... two hundred and fifty years. That would meant that at least three avatars would be born and die before Yue would be replaced by the rightful spirit. Long after Korra's time as avatar. It made sense in some twisted way that even the spirits that were supposed to be mortal wouldn't have the same type of mortality as us. If I didn't save Yue she would only have about two hundred and fifty years to be the spirit of the moon. Or I could save La and by default, Yue and stop all that from happening. I knew what I had to do, after all what sort of person would I be if I just let Yue die?

"I'll save Yue, but not for you Nut," I told the spirit sharply, "I'll save her because it is the right thing to do."

* * *

_Sokka_

"Let me tell you Sokka, I've courted a lot of girls but Yue is the finest. And she comes with some nice perks." I grit my teeth, trying to focus on the axe I was sharpening. I had been listening to this jerk continue to brag about how incredible he was. Personally I thought it was incredible that he was even standing on the ground with how inflated his ego was.

"What does that mean." I nearly hissed.

"It means that Yue's nice and all but the points I get from the chief aren't bad either." I felt my face contort in fury.

"Princess Yue is wasted on a self-absorbed weasel like you." I stated not trying to hide the venom in my voice. Hahn had been trying me all day, trying to show me up as though he was better then I was. Hahn looked confused.

"I thought you of all the people from the southern water tribe would understand," he replied. I sent a look at him in confusion. What was he getting at?

"I thought you would understand the politics and that all men have needs to be fulfilled. After all, isn't that why you have your sister practically hanging off the avatar?" He lowered his voice so I was the only one that could hear him, "Isn't that why you have that earth kingdom whore travelling with you?" I didn't remember what happened next. One moment I had been sharpening the axe, the next I was rolling over and over, sending blows at Hahn's face.

"Sokka! Hahn! Stop at once!" I was grabbed by the arm and dragged of Hahn. I was pleased to see that he had a bleeding nose and a split lip. He deserved a lot more, he had not only insulted Yue, his own fiancee but Katara and Pala. Glaring I opened my mouth to challenge him to a warrior's duel but before I could get the words out chief Arnook cut me off.

"Sokka you're off the mission." I gaped at the chief in shock. How could he do this to me? Hahn's words were more then reason for a warriors duel, all I had done was defend the honour of three women. I tried to argue but was cut off again by the chief.

"I will not hear anything else you have to say." With that he turned and strode away. Hahn smirked at me.

"Come men, let's take down this admiral Cho."

"It's admiral Zhao!" I shouted at their retreating backs.

A while later I was sharpening my boomerang, staring down at the sharp metal. What had I done for the spirits to gang up on me like this? Why did I deserve to always get the short straw?

"Sokka, I have an important mission for you." I turned to look at chief Arnook in disgust.

"What? Clean the barracks? Because it's pretty clear you don't think I'm important enough of a warrior to allow on the mission." I snapped. I didn't care if I was being disrespectful right now. I was feeling to bitter.

"The reason I took you off the mission was for a purely selfish reason. I want you to protect my daughter." I froze and turned to the chief in surprise. He wanted me to take care of Yue? I nodded firmly and headed out. I was important, the chief wanted me to look out for his daughter. I tore out into town, heading towards the place where the women and children would be. I hoped Yue would be there. The streets were empty and devoid of life as I tore through them. There was no time to waste, the sun was already beginning to rise and I knew that the fire nation would begin the assault as soon as the moon dropped below the horizon. We had very little time.

"Sokka!" I skidded to a stop, surprised to see Yue standing not far to my left. What was she doing so far into the city?

"Yue? What are you doing-"

"There's no time! Katara and Aang are in trouble, a strange firebender with a scar attacked us." I felt bile rise in my throat. Zuko. What was he doing in the North Pole? Would he never stop following us?

"Show me." I demanded and quickly, following Yue as she took off. I silently sent a plea out to all the spirits that my sister and Aang were okay. That was when another person entered my thoughts. Where was Pala?

* * *

_Maddi _

I stood on the top of a house, watching as the sun rose. The sky was a warm butter yellow but despite the welcoming colours for me it might as well have been bloody red. The battle was about to begin and with it, the future of this world would never be the same. I had been alone for quite some time now and I had spent that time thinking. Thinking about how to stop Zhao, how to stop him from killing La, how to protect Yue from the fate of death. Even if she was to become the spirit of the moon. Now finally I knew that there was only two ways to stop Zhao from succeeding. And both involved someone dying. One was Zhao, who was protected by many warriors and soldiers as well as thick, durable fire nation armour. The other was a girl who wore no armour. A girl who unsure of what would happen. A girl who had little means to protect herself from deadly flames. A girl who was scared out of her wits. A girl who stood on top of a building shaking in her boots. A girl who had once foolishly called herself of all four nations, not realizing that to be of all four was to be of none at the same time. Me.


	24. Battle Royale

Chapter 24

Battle Royale

_Sokka_

When I got to the spirit oasis as Yue called it I discovered Aang gone. Katara was distraught.

"I can't believe I lost him." She muttered, tears forming in her eyes. I felt slightly sick to my stomach, just like I always did whenever my sister cried. It was something that she should never have to do. I comforted her the only way I knew how.

"You did everything you could. Now we'll do everything we can to get him back. Zuko can't have gotten far. I promise, we'll find them."

"Okay." She murmured and joined Yue and I on Appa.

"Yip-yip." I called. Appa took off into the air. The snow pelted out faces, as if trying to make us turn back but I wasn't going to. I had withstood harsher winters then this and Aang was out there, in need of our help.

We flew for a time, each of us keeping a silent watch for our friend. It was Katara who broke the silence first.

"Has anyone seen Pala since the meeting at the war hall?" I shook my head.

"No, I've been kind of busy." I replied. I paused then added, "Pala is a grown woman Katara, she can take care of herself. It's not like she's going to do anything stupid."

* * *

_Aang_

I opened my eyes in the familiar lotus position. I was sitting on a brown lily pad, backed by giant reeds. I blinked once then stood. I was in the spirit world. Everything appeared washed in shades of brown, except the huge heron that flew by then vanished into the mist that seemed to be everywhere. This part of the spirit world reminded me of a swamp, tall trees with tendrils of moss were everywhere and there appeared to be no landmarks that I could use.

I wandered for a little while, unsure of where I was going. Everything looked the same. It was a sound that caught my attention. Turning slightly I saw the familiar form of a monk meditating on a hill. As I approached I realized that this monk was some sort of monkey, although it wasn't a kind I recognized.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to disturb you I just need to find the moon and ocean spirits."

"Go away." He replied. There was a pause and then he opened one eye.

"You're still here?"

"Yes I need-"

"Ommmm." He cried, squeezing his eyes closed. I didn't move. He opened his eyes again and glared at me.

"Look there," he stated pointing at a small glowing orb, "perhaps that thing will help you-" He said something else but I wasn't listening. I took off after the glowing object as it bounced and twirled its way through the spirit world. I chased it up a tree, only for the tree branch to vanish beneath my feet, dropping me into the shallow water below. The orb vanished into the sky, leaving me alone.

"Hello Aang." Maybe not entirely alone. I looked down at my reflection. Instead of myself Avatar Roku looked up at me.

"Roku, the water tribe is under attack. I need to find the ocean and moon spirits." To my surprise Roku rose from the water to stand in front of me.

"The ocean and the moon are ancient spirits, Aang. They are two of the five spirits that represent the world. However, I do not know where they are. Only other spirits, as ancient as them could tell you."

"Great. Tell me where I can find other spirits that old." I cried, there had to be plenty around, it was just a matter of where I could find them.

"It is not that simple Aang," Roku explained tiredly, "The ancient spirits do not care much for those who have just joined there world and do not make it easy for one to find them. And the ocean and moon spirits crossed over to the mortal world many years ago. However, I do know of one not to far who will know. His name is Koh." Roku seemed tired, but I was to worried to notice. I didn't have time to waste.

"Great, tell me where he is."

"This spirit is dangerous," Roku warned, "They call him the face stealer. When you speak with him be careful to show no fear. No expression at all or he will take your face." I could feel the horror working its way onto my face even as Roku said that.

Roku directed me to Koh's lair. It was deep in the middle of this part of the spirit world. I felt like I was walking to my own death but I had no choice. I had to find the ocean and moon spirits.

"What would Maddi say about this?" I wondered aloud. I cried out in frustration and smacked my hand to my forehead. Why hadn't I just looked for Maddi? She probably knew where the ocean and moon spirits were. I felt stupid once that thought occurred to me. Maddi could have given me the information needed to win this battle... but if she could why didn't she just tell me. I felt frustration rise but I pushed it down. I needed to focus, I could talk to Maddi later. Besides, she had said that she didn't know everything. Perhaps there was something I would learn here that she didn't know about.

Koh's lair was a giant twisted tree and at the bottom a set of stairs lead down into the darkness.

"Umm, hello? I'm looking for a spirit. A spirit named Koh." I called as I came towards the end of the stairway. It was so dark I could barely see.

"Welcome avatar." My face remained carefully impassive as a white face appeared in front of mine. It was a good thing I was prepared for this. Inside though, I was shaking.

"Hello." I replied blankly.

"So my dear friend the avatar has seen it fit to greet me once again in my own home." Koh slithered around. His body was shaped like a caterpillar-centipede thick and fat with many long spindly legs. His face was blank, in the centre a large mouth in which a mortal face sat. It was nerve wracking.

"You know me." I stated. I didn't feel safe posing it as a question in case that too was interpreted as emotion.

"Oh yes, one of your pre-incarnations tried to kill me a few hundred years ago. Something... about stealing the face of the woman you love." The face changed in front of my eyes to that of a beautiful water tribe woman. I would recognize the blue eyes and dark skin anywhere.

"But that's all in the past right," He said, his voice now feminine and sweet. It was almost more disturbing to hear him speak through her voice. Images of Katara kept appearing in my mind. The face shifted once again, to the same one he had originally spoken to me with.

"After all, you're different now. You have a new face." He began crawling around me but I didn't turn to keep eye contact. I remained perfectly straight with no emotion. It was a struggle and keeping my voice calm was equally hard. I pretended I was meditating, nothing could disturb me, nothing could bother me.

"It's been a while since I have added a child's face to my collection. So, what can I help you with."

"I am looking for the moon and ocean spirit."

"Ah yes," Koh stopped moving for a second to just look at me, "the ocean and moon, push and pull. Their spirit names are Tui and La. But that isn't what you want to know is it? You want to know where they are?"

"Yes, please." I replied in a hollow voice. Koh sighed, almost as if he was disappointed.

"You've already met them. Tui and La, push and pull are tied eternally in a dance. They can never break, never stop. Forever caught. Push and pull, light and dark, good and evil." As Koh spun around me an image appeared in my mind. A white koi with a black spot and a black koi with a white spot. The koi fish in the spirit oasis were the spirits of the ocean and moon.

"Thank you, you were very helpful." I stated then turned and left.

* * *

_Maddi_

Day only lasted six hours, in a few days there would be no more sun at all, just eternal darkness. I had been running about the roof tops for hours, taking shots at the huge pieces of weaponry the fire nation had brought, along with that of their komodo-rhinos. That was when I heard a cry for help. I spun around. A water tribe warrior was being backed into a corner by a fire nation soldier. Despite how the series had depicted it not all fire nation soldiers were benders. Many had swords, spears, hammers and there were at least two dozen archers. Carefully I pointed my bow at the fire nation soldier. His helmet had been knocked off so his head was bare. It would be easy to shoot an arrow through his skull. My hands began to shake treacherously. I couldn't bring myself to let go of the string, to release the arrow. I couldn't move. Inside I screamed at my own weakness but images kept appearing in my mind of what the man's family may be like. Furiously I lowered my arrow and shot it at the armoured back. The arrow slammed into the armour, causing the man to stumble and give a shout of pain.

It was quickly cut short after the water tribe warrior thrust a spear through his throat. I wanted to be sick but there was no time for that. The moon was up and that meant that Zhao and his men would be heading towards the spirit oasis right now. Hopefully they would be riding their giant beasts of burden, the animals were ridiculously slow unless they got themselves worked up into a charge. And then it was practically impossible to control them.

I tore down the road, occasionally stopping to shoot at more men and animals. I knew I was weak but I couldn't bring myself to kill someone. I just distracted or injured them. I let the water benders do the rest. I was nearly halfway there when two firebenders blocked my path. I grimaced. I really didn't have time for this. I rushed forward, sliding my bow over my shoulder and pulling out my fans from Suki. The battle seemed to take an instant and forever at the same time. I was fighting furiously, my heart erratic in fear. One firebender I knocked into the river but the other wasn't so easy to beat. We parried and thrust, one of his shots coming uncomfortably close to my ear. I was sure I smelt burning hair. Then the next moment a waterbender engaged him in combat and I was running again. I noticed that one of the fire nation soldiers had dropped a sword. Its handle was covered in blood but I didn't pay any notice. I picked up the sword and kept running. I was almost there when the moon went red. I stopped as suddenly the silvery blue light of the moon vanished, replaced by a rich crimson. I looked up, my heart sinking in dread. Zhao had La, that meant I had only a minute or two. There was no time to waste. The sound of metal against metal from behind me made me turn. A fire nation man stood there, dressed in his full armour, a sword pointed at me. My throat caught. I was going to die and this time there would be no waterbender to save me. He rushed up to me. I raised my sword and slashed desperately. I heard his cry and watched in shock as my blade came away covered in blood. Part of his gauntlet had come off and I had cut into his wrist. He hit the ground, his right hand cut down to the bone. Then he grabbed for his sword with his left and stood. My heart jumped into my throat. In one movement I dropped the sword, grabbed and notched my bow then released the arrow. There was a dull thunk as the shaft imbedded itself in the man's throat.

There is something terrifying about watching someone die. Seeing the light leave their eyes, watching as they go glassy. Hearing their last breath gust out of them and knowing they'll never take another. My arrow imbedded in his throat as he toppled into the water. I stared at his body, his blood dying the water pink. I had just killed, that man could have been a father, a brother, an uncle. He was my first kill. I hit the ground and vomited, heaving heavily. I was weak, I was a coward a little voice whispered in my head. I didn't even have the strength to kill a man and for that I was going to risk it all and threaten my own life. What would happen if I died? I wouldn't be able to make the changes I wanted. I wouldn't be able to help anyone.

I arrived in the spirit oasis and carefully crept along the edges. The bloody sword still in my hands. I could see Zhao and my friends caught in conversation and as Iroh made his appearance I was creeping up to the small plot of land that they all stood on. So caught up in each other none of them noticed me silently make my way to stand at the edge of the tiny island.

I paid no attention to Iroh's speech. Instead I waited for the fish to be let out of the bag. The second it hit the pond I began to run.

* * *

_Sokka_

No one saw it coming until it was to late. Zhao's eyes went cold the second the fish began to swim. His hand went down with a wave of fire.

And that was when Pale appeared. It appeared that she flew over the fish, a silver sword glistening red between her hands, like a shield. Her braid flying behind her, her bow hung off her arm nearly falling off. Then the fire struck. Her back was to us so we couldn't see what happened but she was engulfed in fire. Fire flew over her head and to either side of her, leaving her silhouette black against the flames. Then the fire was gone. Pala stood with her back to us then fell into the water. The two koi kept swimming, moving to the side to leave room for the body of the girl who had just sacrificed herself for them. Iroh, the guy I recognized as Zuko's uncle attacked the fire nation soldiers. In less then a minute he had taken them all down. But Zhao was gone. I barely noticed as Yue. Katara, Aang and I looked at Pala. The burns were awful, I could barely recognize the girl who had come to be a second sister and a best friend. Her clothes had burned on her body. There was a choked sob to my right that I knew to be Katara. Yue, Aang and I were silent. I couldn't believe it, she couldn't be dead.

"Sokka, I'm sorry." Yue murmured softly. I couldn't bring myself to answer, terrified that I would begin to cry along with my sister. Aang walked into the pond, glowing in the avatar state as he reached out to touch Pala.

"Look." Iroh suddenly stated, pointing at Pala. I looked, unsure of what he was talking about and felt my heart jump. Her chest was rising and falling. It was very little, so faint I hadn't noticed it but it was there. Pala was alive. Aang suddenly pulled back and dropped into the pond. I gasped as the entire area glowed with an intense light. Slowly a giant human shaped koi fish formed with Aang in the centre. Then he was out of out sight, vanished to join the battle. Turning back to the pond I saw the both fish were glowing in a similar way that Aang did. Were they controlling him? Then to the shock of everyone Pala sat up and looked around. Slowly she stretched and clambered awkwardly out of the water. But something was wrong. Her eyes were a deep blue, not the usual warm brown and she held herself as if she was far greater then we were.

"It has been a long time since I have occupied the body of a human." She stated. It was Pala's voice, but it wasn't quite right.

"Who are you!" I demanded, pointing my club at her, I didn't know what was happening, this was something I had never seen before.

"Put that down boy before you hurt someone you do not wish to. As for who I am, I am La, spirit of the moon and you are a fool if you think you are going to hurt me." She smirked, twisting Pala's features to her will. I grimaced but stepped back. There was nothing I could do. La nodded at me then turned to Iroh.

"It is a pleasure to meet you again general of Agni. I never thought that I would meet such a human twice during their lifetime. Have you made your peace with your loss?" As I watched I noticed Pala's face was changing. In shock I realized the burns were slowly vanishing.

"I made my peace with it many years ago." Iroh replied looking at the spirit with both reverence and a tone of nervousness. What did he know that we didn't?

"Good." La stated again. With a smile that should have been warm and comforting but seemed to be cold and mocking she turned to me.

"Do not fear for Maddi. I was able to spare her life as she fell into my pond. However her wounds are great. I must tell you, she was a fool for risking her own life. She is to important, to you and to the spirits. Despite that this is a one time only situation. I expect it to be made clear to her that she is not to sacrifice herself again, even for one of her beloved characters." La sniffed derisively. Then a soft expression crossed her face as she came to look at Yue.

"However I owe her much for saving my life and allowing you to live on my daughter." Yue looked surprised.

"I do not understand." She admitted, looking nervously at La.

"You're parents may have created your body, but I gave you life. I was the one you owe for your soul. You are my daughter as short lived as your human flesh may be. You will always have a place reserved for you among my stars. But until then, you shall take another role. You were never destined to be a princess or queen Yue. You are my priestess." I gasped in shock and I could see tears forming in Yue's eyes as she realized what that meant. La too stumbled back and with a single blink her eyes changed from blue to brown.

"Yue, I'm... so sorry." Pala gasped, a single tear running down her face. Then La was back.

"Foolish girl," She snapped, apparently at herself, "I am protecting you and healing you, do not fight me." She then turned back to us.

"I expect you my daughter to begin your role in three days, no more." She turned to Katara, "Take Madison to the healing huts, despite my time with her there is little more I can do with her fighting me." Katara sent a nervous look at me but nodded and clambered onto Appa. La got on and then lay on on the bison's saddle.

"Yip-yip" Katara cried as Appa took off into the air.

* * *

_Maddi_

I spent over a week in the healing huts, to exhausted and hurt to know what happened or even have the ability to listen to it all the way through. Once I was strong enough to sit up and stay awake for a few hours, Sokka, Katara, Aang and Yue all came to visit me. I was so proud that I had saved her but the glares I was getting from my friends told me that I had messed up, badly.

"I can't believe you were so stupid to risk your own life!" Was the first thing that came out of Sokka's mouth. I blushed and looked away. I had lost a lot of my hair from Zhao, at least an inch off the bottom and now I had thick choppy bangs from where the fire had burned the top of my head, searing off at least a layer of hair. My face looked like I had been suntanning without sunscreen and my freckles were probably going insane underneath it. I had also lost my eyebrows and eyelashes but I was lucky to get away with that on my face. It was my hands that had the most damage. The sword had been turned red hot while I held it, creating a brand that runs across the palm of both my hands. My right knuckles and left palm were both badly burnt as they received the brute force of the damage. There was no doubt that they would scar, how badly was the only question. My bow was ruined as well, little more then a charred twig, however most of my arrows had survived along with my fans from Kyoshi.

"I didn't know what else to do!" I cried in frustration.

"What was so terrible that you were going to kill yourself to stop it?" Katara snapped, equally as furious. I didn't blame my friends for being angry with me, they had every right.

"How about Yue dying?" I retorted, "I thought you would be glad that she wasn't dead?" Silence.

"I was going to die? How do you know this Pala?" My heart stopped. I had forgotten Yue was right there, standing to my left. I noticed with interest her outfit had changed. She wore a silvery-white gown with a yin and yang symbol on the front. I wondered what was the reason for such an outfit change. I was quiet for a moment before I told Yue the entire story, how I knew the future, how I came from another world and then telling her what would have happened if I hadn't done what I had, including the revelations from Nut. There was silence for a few more minutes.

"I understand why you did it, but next time tell us. You don't have to do this on your own, I thought you already knew that." Aang pointed out softly. Then I was enveloped in a gentle hug from all three parties, only Yue remained where she stood.

"If you ever think about doing something so stupid again, I'll tie you to Appa." Sokka threatened which caused me to laugh.

"I'll take you at your word. So tell me. What's happened since my stupid act?" I fell silent as Sokka told me about how La had taken over my body and how Yue was now the priestess of the Northern Water tribe. Her fiancee was dead which left the north with no next in line. Yue quickly pointed out that as the priestess it was her job to choose who would become the next of kin for her tribe. She seemed happy being the priestess from how she spoke. Only the longing glances that she and Sokka shared told the other side of the story. How sad she was that she now would remain unmarried and a virgin until she died. How much she wished that things could have been different and that she and Sokka could have been together.

Finally my friends were shooed out of the healing halls but before they left Katara told me.

"Once you're able to be moved we're leaving, Pakku and some others are heading to the south and they are going to drop us off in the earth kingdom." I nodded in reply and with a sigh, leaned back and fell into a deep sleep. Undisturbed by dreams.

* * *

So what did you guys think? The season finale is over and I'm super excited to start Earth. The changes Maddi has made are really going to start catching up to everyone and she is going to start making more and being a bit more bold in her decisions. Anyway Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas whatever fits best for you. Have a good season

Princess Kassie Out.


	25. Change Begun

Chapter 25

Change Begun

I was trapped, with no control over my own body as I stared at the man in front of me. His right hand useless from the blow I had dealt him. Except instead of trying to kill me this time he was begging for his life.

"Please, I have a family, they need me." I wanted to stop, wanted to send him on his way with the best of luck but my hands moved against my will and the arrow imbedded itself in his neck. Just as suddenly in his place was a face that I recognized all too well. Long chestnut curls that fell to the shoulder, soft baby blue eyes, worn jeans and a red plaid shirt.

"Maddi, how could you?" I shouted in shock and rushed to his side.

"Joe, I'm so sorry here-"

"I'm dead Maddi, at least, dead to you anyway." He stated calmly, despite the blood seeping down his neck and into his shirt.

"No you're not. I love you."

"We're in totally different worlds. You'll never see me again, and I will never see you."

I woke up with a dry sob. I stared up at the hammock above me as I tried to calm my racing heart. At least I hadn't woken up screaming.

Ever since we had taken off on this boat I had discovered just how hard war hit people. Everyone seemed to wake up with nightmares that would then wake the entire ship. There were only three who were exceptions. Katara, who hadn't been part of the battle. Pakku, who was so dry, bitter and sarcastic that it was impossible to tell if he didn't have nightmares or had learned to deal with them, and Sokka. I wasn't sure why Sokka wasn't bothered but something within me said that both he and Katara would be okay, no matter what they were going to face. I slipped out of my hammock and up to the deck. Four men manned the ship and not one even took a second look at me. The occupants of the ship often came out for strolls to clear their heads from whatever memory haunted them. It was mutually understood that you didn't bother someone if they came up before sunrise.

I leaned out against the side of the ship, breathing in the cold, salty air and looked at my hands. Wrapped in bandages they were stiff and hard to move. Twice a day Katara would pull me aside and practice her healing on them. There was going to be scars for the rest of my life but they wouldn't effect my mobility after the first two months as long as they got regular treatment. It was a constant reminder of not only my promise but my mistakes.

* * *

I woke up with a scream, my voice pitching up an octave so it sounded like a little girls. Shaking myself I clambered out of the sleeping bag, walking over to the stream we had camped near. I splashed my face, shaking. The nightmares hadn't stopped for me but Aang was now over them since his spirit meeting with Roku. It had been three days since the beginning of book 2 and I was feeling drained.

I had a new bow, gifted to me from the water tribe made out of some sort of whale bone but the replacement of my weapons wasn't enough. I was scared. For the first time since I had came here I had truly understood that I could die here. Death had seemed like it wasn't truly reality, like it was some sort of dream here. But the killing of a man and seeing the funerals of the dead had really been a kick in the head. And now I was terrified of the journey I had began. I had been a stupid naive girl and now I was paying for it. With a sigh I crawled back to my sleeping bag and lay on my back, looking up at the stars. They gazed down cold, heartless as if I was nothing to them. To the stars I was little more then an insect to be watched.

"You know I never saw you as the philosophical type Madison."

"Hello Nut." I replied in a dull voice, "Stay a while, please." Nut snorted and sat down beside me, her lack of a physical form making it look like the tiny blades of grass were supporting her.

"I know sarcasm when I see it. That doesn't mean I'm going to listen to it." She replied lightly, leaning an elbow on one knee to look at me.

"I owe you a debt Madison, you made sure that I remained foremost handmaiden of the sky. That is a debt I cannot repay easily." I sighed and sat up, looking right back at her. For some reason Nut had lost her little girl form and she now appeared about my age.

"I just have some things I need to work out on my own, I don't need your help." Nut nodded, her skin glowing as she stood.

"So be it, but is you ever need my help, just call." It was my turn to nod, allowing the spirit to leave, vanishing into the forest as if she had never been there in the first place. I flopped back down into my sleeping bag, knowing full well that I wasn't going to sleep for the rest of the night.

I pulled myself out of the warmth of my bag as the sun began to rise. My friends would wake up soon and we would continue on our way to Omashu in a few hours. To get ahead of the game I packed up my bags and put them away on Appa's pack. While I was doing that Aang sat up, rubbed his eyes and began his morning meditation. He remained carefully focused on the matter at hand. I understood that feeling and let him focus on his routine. While I rekindled the fire Sokka and Katara slowly roused.

Breakfast was quick, eggs and wild peppers that Aang had found. I was very thankful that the airbender wasn't vegan, it had been hard enough finding him food in the North Pole that fit his mandate. After breakfast was over we clambered onto Appa and took off. Aang, Katara and Sokka chatted and told stories, played games and various other activities to pass the time. I allowed myself to think on what had occurred back five days ago when we had arrived at General Fong's place.

* * *

_Five days earlier_

The fireworks were delightful I mentally admitted, watching the bright sparks burst and form in a variety of colours and shapes in honour of our arrival. General Fong himself had left his war room to come greet us. To him we were heroes, brave Sokka, mighty Katara, Madison the Wise. He was a natural speaker and he had an air that caused people to like him. Even though I knew what he was going to do I found myself entranced by his eloquence and charisma. To top it off he wasn't bad looking either. Somehow he reminded me of Napoleon, short, charismatic and fairly attractive.

After he had given us the tour of the tower, including the stables and our new quarters until he could have his escort ready which he said would only take two or three days at the most.

"You're ready to fight the fire lord now, Aang," he stated, leaning over his desk to peer at the young avatar.

"No he's not," Katara protested, "he's only mastered air and water. We need to find him earth and firebending masters first." Aang nodded vehemently, nervously eyeing the general.

"Why not? Look at the power he wielded in the Northern Water Tribe, with that kind of power we could cut a straight line into the heart of the fire nation." Fong lent over his desk, dark eyes determined.

"We could save so many lives, Avatar Aang, stop this war right now. Do you know how many people die everyday from this war?" He looked so sincere, so earnest and I understood what he meant. I too wanted to end the war quickly but the Avatar state would only play a part. It was my turn to speak up.

"Even if Aang agreed to fight in the avatar state what makes you think he'll be as devastating as he was at the North?" I pointed out, "In the North Pole it was not the avatar state that controlled that beast, it was Tui, the spirit of the oceans. Aang did not choose to wield that power and even if he called upon the spirits to give him an equal ability who is to say that they will listen? The spirits have their own ways." General Fong paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Maybe you're right, he will not be as strong as the North, however even the regular avatar state should be good enough for our purposes. With the avatar leading the way as the ultimate weapon, we would win in a matter of days." I glared and stood. I knew that it would be seen as disrespect but this needed to be listened to and if I had to do something shocking to get the attention I needed then that was what I would do.

"Yes, make a twelve year old boy the ultimate weapon. Send him into battle at his most venerable and just hope that he takes down the enemy. Do you even know what would happen if Aang dies in the avatar state? Here's a hint, the avatar state connects him to the spirits of the previous avatars_ and_ the spirit that gives the avatar the ability to be reborn." There was silence as Fong, his generals and my friends took this into consideration.

"I don't understand." Fong admitted, looking confused. I shook my head sadly and sat back down, the choppy bangs waved in front of my eyes.

"You don't need to, what you need to know is that Aang is not going to fight for you. He needs to learn his own way. Now are you still willing to give us that escort to Omashu or can we leave now?" The shocked silence instantly told me that perhaps I had taken this one step to far. My guess turned out to be right when Katara and Sokka made quick apologies and asked to talk to Aang and I alone.

I was dragged into a small storage room, it was dark but not dark enough I couldn't see the faces of my friends.

"What are you talking about Pala?" Katara asked sharply, "I mean, I agree with you Aang needs to learn all the bending forms first but-"

"Katara," Sokka cut in. He had an intense look in his eyes. Reaching over he grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look at him.

"Are you saying that if Aang gets killed in the Avatar state there will be no more avatars?" Katara gasped, her eyes darting between Aang, Sokka and I in alarm. Aang had gone unusually pale as he thought about it a stricken look on his face. I nodded once.

"What was supposed to happen?" Aang asked me in a shaky voice. The young airbender looked utterly shaken. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and I told them. I told them about how Fong wanted the avatar's power and how he would slowly lose it, eventually attacking Sokka and Katara to force Aang into the state. At that point Roku would contract him and tell him what I had just told my friends. If Aang was killed in the avatar state it would be the end of all avatars.

"Well I guess the choice is obvious." Sokka pointed out. He too looked bothered by the revelation I had just given them. I noticed Katara's hand reach for the small vial of spirit water now attached to her mother's necklace. Aang nodded, still looking shaken. I touched his shoulder gently.

"Maybe you should contact Roku, just to talk to him about it?" I suggested. Aang gave me a wane smile and agreed.

* * *

I smiled slightly, because of me we were three days ahead of schedule. That same day we had told Fong that we didn't need his assistance, we had gone to Omashu once before without anyone but ourselves. We thanked him for his hospitality and left. All of us had been tense as we prepped Appa to leave, unsure if he would lose it and try to attack us. He didn't and we left without dispute. None of us completely relaxed though until his tower was out of sight. I knew this was going to change things but for once I wasn't worried. What would come would come, I had been making changes throughout my time here and they were eventually going to catch up to me. More changes would only move things along. In my opinion it was a good thing. I had also noticed with interest the information change among my friends. Katara and Aang always had to be water of some kind where they would work on their bending for hours. It got to the point where Sokka and I were doing most of the cooking. Not that I minded as it gave us a chance to add in an extra dish of meat when we could. Fish especially was popular as Aang seemed to have decided to compromise and was now willing to eat fish and other sea foods. I wondered if part of this was from all his time spent around the water tribe whose main diet consisted of sea foods.

Around lunch we landed at a beautiful river, huge stones created ideal places to sunbathe, not that I needed it with my burns from the battle. A two huge stone pillars created a doorway which the water passed through. It was beautiful and I wondered if at one time this was a temple or a spiritual place that waterbenders would come to. While Katara and Aang decided to work on their bending Sokka and I decided we needed some much deserved relaxation and stripped as well. While Sokka floated around in the water, his hair left to hang down with Momo on his stomach I leaned against the cool side of one of the stones, deep in thought. This was the place where if we had come here three days late we would have met the hippies. As it was though, I needed to really think about whether we should take the cave of two lovers or not. I didn't know if the fire nation base was there but it was a possibility. That was when another thought occurred to me. Omashu was probably already taken and I should probably tell them that as well. With a sigh I sloshed back into the sunlight.

"Sokka, Katara, Aang? If you have a moment I need to talk to you." Katara and Aang turned from their bending, dropping the octopus arms and making their way over to me. Sokka grumbled about not having enough time to relax but came over as well, carrying a disgruntled and wet Momo as the lemur had fallen off Sokka when the water tribe prince had stood.

"What is it now?" Katara asked, her blue eyes troubled, darting around.

"We're not in danger of being attacked, not right now anyway. I want to talk to you guys about two things, our path of Omashu and what happens when we get there... if you think I should tell you."

"Is this another part of your story?" Aang asked, placing an elbow on his knee as he leaned in. I nodded firmly.

"Yes, I just recognized this river. We're less then a day's journey from Omashu." I could see the grins on my friends faces as they realized that the journey to Omashu was almost over.

"Okay so is this a big thing or little thing?" Sokka asked. I could see his mind working, trying to figure out what could happen.

"Well that's the hard bit," I admitted, picking up Momo and cuddling him. His damp fur stuck to my skin.

"You see," I continued, "We have two ways to get to Omashu from here, the first is fairly safe and we are guaranteed to get out with little trouble. The second might be dangerous, it depends on whether our being here three days early will make a difference or not." I paused again and looked up at the sky, a pure blue without a single cloud.

"The thing is after this little journey we're going to come across something really big and it's going to change all the plans you guys had before." My friends exchanged nervous glances.

"So... how big? Like platypus bear big or wild moose lion big?" Aang asked, grey eyes anxious. I grimaced and looked away before admitting.

"Actually... it's more of a fire nation big." There was silence as my friends thought it over.

"Well I'm all for the safer route," Katara pointed out in fake cheer. I supposed that meant she didn't want to know. Not that I blamed her, she had been through a lot in the last few weeks. Aang on the other hand suddenly jolted upright.

"Is Bumi okay?" He demanded, looking alarmed. A strong gust of wind nearly blew me over. Wincing from the sudden cold I was quick to calm Aang.

"Bumi's alive and healthy." Aang sighed and leaned back, relief evident on his face. Sokka looked between Aang and his sister with worry burning in his eyes. He stood.

"A few more hours shouldn't change anything. I say we should give ourselves another two hours before heading out. Do you agree with me?" He asked. Despite the general wording of the question, his eyes latched onto mine. He wanted to know just how bad the situation was. If it could wait then we would stay, if not we would eat a quick lunch and leave right away.

"I agree," I replied, meeting his eyes. A few hours would make no difference in what was going to happen.

* * *

Hello, Princess Kassie here. I just want to say sorry for the long wait. However I have gotten all the major scholarships that I needed done complete. I should be able to keep updating consistently from now on, there isn't anything that I can think about coming up that will interfear with this story. Anyway let me know what you think of this new chapter.

Once again updating, Princess Kassie Out.


	26. Effect

Chapter 26

Effect

A/N: This chapter is rather short, however I wanted to have an entire chapter dedicated to Zuko. This is important as it really shows the changes happening. The ripples are becoming waves and it is going to be a wild ride really soon. Just to let you know if you don't remember all of Maddi's talk to Zuko back on Kyoshi Island, the italics with the exception of the one that Zuko states is from Aang are all from Maddi. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Princess Kassie Out.

* * *

_Zuko_

It had taken nearly two months for Uncle and I to find a place to stay. Even using our firebending to push the raft along all we could do was control speed. Somehow we had ended up on a resort near the line*, here the cherry trees were beginning to blossom filling the place with a sweet scent. This resort was available to both people of the fire nation and earth kingdom, however only the nobles could afford it. It was luck that the hospitality had been offered to us for free. I didn't understand why, but apparently the man who ran the resort used to be close friends with my uncle.

Despite the tension in my shoulders I couldn't accept the offers of messages with fragrant oils. Today was not a day for relaxation. A hand on my shoulder caused me to look up into the yellow eyes of my uncle. His eyes were deep with sadness and compassion. For a split second I felt the need to throw myself into his arms the way I had done when I was a child. After Lu-Ten had died, after my father began to distance himself me. I would never forget the look in my father's eyes after I discovered I was a bender. I was six years old, two years before my mother vanished, seven before I would be scarred and cast out of the only home I had known. The shame in his face and my realization that if I hadn't been a bender I would have brought less shame to my family.

"I see. It's the anniversary." Uncle Iroh stated softly, taking a seat beside me. I sighed and tipped the straw hat over my face.

"Three years today." I replied. I was torn. For two years I had pursued the Avatar with no other purpose. Now though, I had met Aang and his friend and small group had influenced my life. Aang was now more than the Avatar to me. I couldn't forget what had happened back on that day I had masqueraded as the Blue Spirit. He had told me about his friend back a hundred years ago and asked if I thought we had been friends. In the end I had told him to leave. In return he had smiled and told me that he thought we could have been friends. That brought me to Maddi. That girl had made an impression on me in a way that I could never forget.

_You have the heart to be a good leader, one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love. _

I had been unsure of her, conflicted and confused but after meeting Aang I found myself beginning to honestly wonder if maybe they had a point. It was as if something had been lifted from my eyes. I could see another side of the story and it made me sick to my stomach. My father had been cold, distant and angry with me for years before I was banished but I had locked those memories away, convincing myself that if I captured the avatar he would love me again. Now I realized it was a task that I would have never been able to complete. Even with Aang being twelve years old and master of only one element(a fact that was soon to change if it hadn't already) I could not defeat him.

"Perhaps you would like to join me in a quiet walk at the seaside." Uncle suggested softly, "To take your mind off things." I looked up at my uncle and gave him a small smile.

"That would be nice."

We returned to our small cabin with a bag full of shells that uncle couldn't resist taking from the sand. After some time I noticed how careful he was that each and every shell was empty of any inhabitants. It was with the familiar gentle care that my uncle seemed to share for everything under the sky.

He unloaded his horde with a child-like glee, eyes bright in excitement. He confused me, never seeming to be consistent, one moment giving me pieces of wisdom or raising my confidence and the next attempting to play an instrument off key or collect sea shells.

"These keep-sakes will bring us joy for years!" He cried causing me to shake my head. Four months ago I would have shouted at him but now I felt like I couldn't tell up from down any more. Had one girl really made this much of a change in my life?

_You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko._

_Do you think we might have been friends?_

Now I was thinking of Aang again. Why was this happening to me? I winced, I was going to get a headache if this kept up.

"Hello brother." Never mind. I spun around, already knowing who it was. Only one person would have the audacity to break into our private cabin and wait in the dark before acknowledging us. Azula. My little sister walked out from the shadows. It had been three years since I had last seen her and she had changed. She was taller, prideful and full of arrogance. I had never walked that way but her _special_ training with father evidently was making an impact. She had changed a lot but I couldn't help but remember the sweet little girl she had been. Back before she turned nine, back before she showed her first blue fire. To create a fire that intense at such a young age...

"What? No greeting?" She challenged, gold eyes sharp. There was a distinct malice to them that hadn't been there when I had last saw her.

"To what do we owe this honour?" Uncle asked. I could tell he was uneasy, even wary of the clear changes that had occurred since we had left. A strange feeling welled up in my gut, one that I couldn't quite place. I tried to shake it off.

"Humm, must be a family trait. I glad that particular one missed me." She stated. Her voice was like ice, empty but full of spears. She moved toward me with a smile that long ago would have unnerved me, now however that feeling in my gut simply grew stronger.

"I've come with a message from home. There has been talk of a rebellion, treacherous plotting against the crown. Father realized that family are the only ones who are trustworthy. He's revoking your banishment."

_Show them that you would be a better leader then Ozai, then overthrow him._

Why couldn't I get that girl out of my head? However, wasn't Maddi a colonial? Could she have been talking about this rebellion? Could it be that the rebellion that Azula was talking about wanted me as Fire Lord? A creeping suspicion slithered into my mind. If that was true, father wouldn't want me home where I was within easy access of the rebellion. He would want me far out of their reach. For him to invite me home meant that one of two things were happening. Either Azula was lying again or uncle and I were going to be imprisoned. Azula didn't notice my disbelief or she chose to ignore it.

"I'm still waiting for my thank you. I'm not a messenger, I didn't have to come here to give you the news." I looked at my sister. There was something wrong here and her words of a rebellion were ringing in my ears. I tried to answer her but the only words that I could manage didn't come out the way I wanted.

"A rebellion?" Azula looked ready to slap me across the face. I could feel the anger radiating off her in waves but she seemed to pull herself out of it with ease although there was a tenseness in her eyes that wasn't there before.

"Yes a rebellion. I understand how that might seem ridiculous but it's true." She paused, "I can see this is all to much for you. I'll come see you tomorrow when you can think more clearly." With those parting words my sister, who I hadn't seen in three years swept out of the cabin.

It was later, once she was long gone that I realized that feeling in my gut, was pity.

* * *

I was torn, pacing up and down the cabin my frustration kept growing. Part of me wanted to believe Azula, the other part of me, the part that spoke in Maddi's voice whispered 'didn't you yourself say Azula always lies? Besides you know about the rebellion and they want you as Fire Lord. Not Ozai, not Azula, _you_.' Uncle Iroh noticed my troubles. He sighed and sat down, patting a spot on the floor across from him.

"If you keep walking you will wear through the floor nephew." I stopped and sat down. My uncle looked into my eyes intensely.

"Tell me what is bothering you." I opened my mouth then shut it. I hadn't told my uncle everything about what had occurred on Kyoshi island and I hadn't told him anything of what had happened between Aang and I. I started in shock, suddenly realizing that I had been calling Aang by his name for a while. I sighed and began talking to uncle Iroh. I told him everything from Maddi's speech, to Aang's beliefs and now to what Azula had said and my mistrust in my sister. On his part my uncle didn't say a word, he just listened, face impassive as I told him everything. It was so strange to have no secrets between us.

"It is your choice Zuko," He stated softly, "what are we doing?" I looked at my uncle, deep in thought. I doubted I was wrong about Azula although I wished I was. My thoughts wandered back to the North Pole. After I had captured Aang I had dragged him with me farther north. At the time I had convinced myself that I was trying to get away from Zhao and once he was gone I would leave, taking the avatar with me. Once again it hadn't worked. I had been defeated. However, instead of leaving me alone to die from the cold Aang and his friends had brought me with them. I had woken up during the journey back and carefully cut the ropes binding my wrists. I was careful to make sure I appeared to be asleep and after they had been distracted by Zhao I had slipped away, hiding in the shadows. I watched as they confronted Zhao over the spirit and my uncle's interference. Unlike everyone else though, I had seen Maddison hiding across the water from me. Curious I had changed my focus to her, watching as she slowly made her way to the small island and than watched as she reacted to Zhao's attack before it happened. The second the fish had been dropped from the sack she began to run straight towards the pond. I hadn't realized what she was doing until she threw herself in front of the flames. She had attempted to sacrifice herself.

I wondered where she was now.

I shook myself. I needed to focus. There were three options for me. The first was trusting my sister, something which I knew was a bad choice. The second and third were both similar, I would leave with uncle and we would seek out answers from either the Avatar or the rebellion. The choice should have been easy. I knew which one was the choice that needed to be taken but to do so would be to turn my back on my family.

Hadn't they already turned their backs on uncle and I anyway? Uncle Iroh looked at me, waiting for my decision. I could see the worry in his eyes. Turning I admitted softly in a voice I hadn't heard in years. It was the voice of the boy I had been before my mother left, before my father started hating me.

"I'm confused uncle." I flinched at how delicate the voice sounded, breakable and scared. In a few months my entire life had been flung on its head and it was all because of that girl.

"I know Zuko, I know."

A few hours later I looked back at the small cabin which had been our temporary home. From now on we would have no home, no one but ourselves to rely on. Our packs were small, we had brought no more then what was absolutely necessary and despite my uncle's thoughts earlier he chose to leave the most behind. I didn't question him but it caused me to wonder. Had he not been serious when he had talked about the seashells or if he was upset but knew the necessity of leaving such things behind?

We hurried away, we needed to move quickly to escape my sister. Despite that I stopped at a river. If we were to turn our backs on our family than we needed to do it properly. Slowly I dug into my pack for a small knife that I always carried with me. Slowly I held it out to my uncle, the earth kingdom lettering across the blade glittered in the light. Solemnly my uncle took the knife and cut off his top knot before passing it to me. I took it and repeated the gesture, cutting off the long hair in one slice. We watched in silence as the river bore our hair away, slowly breaking them apart until only long hairs were left, floating away downstream.

That night I looked up into the sky deep in thought. I didn't regret my choice I had made the right choice as hard as it had been. My family no longer cared for me. It hurt but not as much as I had believed it would. Images kept appearing in my mind. My uncle, smiling, the man who had been more like my father than my real father. Aang, smiling as he told me he thought we could be friends. Maddi telling me with complete sincerity that I was ten times better then my father. More faces appeared, faces who my mind conjured, men and women reaching out to me, each begging me to free them from my father's dictatorship. Boys and girls, younger than me with a sad age in their eyes, marching off to war under my father's command coming to stand with pride beside me. All of them turned to look at me at once and a haunting echo came to my ears. One repeated a thousand times in my dreams, a war cry that stayed with me that entire night.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko! Long live Fire Lord Zuko!"

_Long live Fire Lord Zuko_

* * *

*Back before we named the equator it was called the Line


	27. Return to Omashu

Chapter 27

Return to Omashu

It was devestating to see the hopless acceptance in the eyes of my friends when they saw the red flag on the wall of Omashu.

"Is this always going to happen?" Aang asked softly. I assumed it was a rhetorical question as he continued on. "Will we always end up two steps behind the fire nation?"

"No." Katara promised, her eyes were hard, "We won't." Sokka and I shared a nervous glance. While it was great to see those two determined I was worried. By the end of this war any innocence would be long gone. Then again, innocence was always gone after a war. My generation in North America was lucky to be born in a time of peace and than as war did arrive it was off shore and only the army and volunteers got involved if they chose to. No one in Canada was forced to join the army. Here though, none of us had a choice. It was either join the fight or be killed from the effects of the war. There was silence for a moment before Sokka took action.

"Come on, there has to be a way in."

"There is." Aang and I said together. We looked at each other. I grimaced and quickly gestured for him to continue.

"There are several emergency exits in Omashu that lead underground," Aang explained, "Bumi and I used to explore them all the time. Well, none of those exits directly leave the city. The only way to leave besides the front gate…" Aang smiled looking very guilty as he explained that sewers lead out of the city but we could use them to go into the city.

"So how are we going to get into that ravine anyway? Is Appa going to fly us down?" Katara asked as we walked to the edge, peering down. Aang nodded.

"When Bumi and I played here we created a set of stairs. Problem is I don't know if they're still going to be here. Appa's probably the best idea. What do you say boy?" The bison grunted, sinking into position for us to clamber on. Once we were secure the bison hopped down, descending in a controlled manner that made the huge canyon a lot less intimidating.

Once we landed Aang guided us to the sewer exit. My nose wrinkled at the foul scent coming from the grate. If it was that foul from outside the sewer I didn't want to know what it would smell like inside. Appa took off, flying away and leaving us standing beside the metal lid. I grimanced, suddenly feeling very green as Aang opened the lid. I felt even sicker when I got a good look of the stuff that was running out of the tunnel.

"You know what, I've changed my mind, how about we fly over the walls," I suggested, backing away from the sludge. I could tell that my friends weren't excatly happy about this either. Aang shook his head and stepped in, calling.

"Come on, Bumi's waiting for us." Katara quickly vanished in after him followed soon after by Sokka. I remained frozen to my spot. That was sewer sludge, I had forgotten since Haru's village just what that meant. Back in Canada, heck, back in North America sewers held water, debris and garbage. We had a separate system for plumbing. Not here though, here we had chamber pots which were than promptly dumped into the streets along with the bathwater, kitchen scraps and everything else. I was suddenly very aware of how dirty that would be. A breeding ground for all kinds of disease and bacteria. I had never been paranoid over germs before but this terrified me. I quickly pulled the fabric of my dress up, covering my nose and mouth before stepping in.

I was careful not to look anywhere but Sokka, my eyes riveted to his back. Each step I took I shivered in disgust. We finally made it to the top, I scrambled out so fast that I nearly knocked Sokka over. I dropped the neckline of my dress, taking large gasping breaths. My dress was soaked with sewage up to my knees and my small shoes only covered up to my ankles. I was better off than Sokka. He was covered in the stuff from head to toe from Aang and Katara's bending. Luckily for us there was a barrel of rainwater nearby that Katara used to wash Sokka and I. Aang than dried us off. I was still slightly traumatized by the experience of the Omashu sewer system and I was feeling like I would never eat again when Sokka shouted. I jumped in shock.

"AHH! Get it off! Get it off!"

"Calm down Sokka," Aang stated, quickly dealing with the issue. I laughed gently when I realized that it was a pentapus, this worlds five armed version of an octopus. Aang easily rubbed the little creature on its head, causing it to detach from Sokka, a star shaped mark of purple splotches. I snickered as Katara removed the second one on his arm, than yelped myself when I felt something move on my leg. Lifting my skirt I glared at the offending pentapus and gently pulled it off. There was a shout, causing me to drop the pentipus and shoot upright. Two fire nation guards came running up to us, spears pointed at us.

"Hey! What are you kids doing out past curfew?" Katara was the first to reply.

"We were just heading home, I'm sorry it won't happen again sir." The soldier nodded.

"Make sure that it doesn't." We nodded and quickly turned to walk away when one of the soldiers noticed something.

"What's wrong with him?" We turned back in confusion. I frowned, looking at where the guard's finger was pointing. Sokka's face. I suddenly remembered the ruse Sokka would use later. In an instant I found myself blurting.

"Pentapox sir." The soldiers looked worried so Katara added quickly.

"It's highly contagious." Nodding her head as if to make the lie more believable.

"Oh it's awful I'm dying!" Sokka quickly added, catching onto the ruse. I could see the panic grow in the eyes of the soldiers as they took a few cautious steps back.

"Didn't your cousin Chang die from that?" One asked the other nervously.

"Maybe we should go," the other suggested. Sokka coughed dramatically causing him to jolt.

"And burn our clothes!" The guards took off running as fast as they could, vanishing from our site in a few seconds. Aang laughed at how well the lie had worked but I was caught up deep in thought. The pure fear in the eyes of those men worried me. They really had been scared for their lives. Once again I was reminded how I was immune to many diseases that would kill in this time. Polio, small pox, and so many others that were killers here could never touch me.

"Come on, we need to find Bumi." Aang called as he walked away. We followed after him. After a moment I broached the topic with Sokka.

"How many people die from disease here?" I asked softly. Sokka looked at me in confusion before shrugging.

"Well I don't know about Omashu or much about the earth kingdom but back home I'd say about fifteen in a good year. If there was a plague or something else it could be in the hundreds." He paused and looked off, eyes unfocused as he admitted.

"A single plague could wipe out an entire village." I shivered in terror. Back at home disease wasn't something to fear, not that much anyway. Diseases like AIDS, STD, Ebola, they didn't seem real, like they would never effect us. Some of my old friends used to joke about Ebola, thinking it funny. Now I felt ill just thinking about how many people could die from a simple flu.

"Don't you have disease where you come from?" Sokka asked noticing my silence.

"Yes," I admitted softly, "But we had ways to stop it, medicines that would kill the virus or antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria. Very few people ever die from illness anymore. We even have a special way to stop ourselves from every getting sick from certain illnesses." Sokka shook his head.

"Sometimes your world sounds like paradise." I forced a laugh.

"Sokka my world has problems, just as many as yours, the only difference is the type of problems we face." We fell silent. A few minutes later the sound of heavy footfalls alerted us to soldiers coming our way and we quickly hid behind a bunch of scaffolding. Three fire nation soldiers passed by us, completely unaware.

"So where would they be keeping Bumi?" Katara asked softly turning to face Aang.

"Somewhere he couldn't earthbend," the young avatar replied, "Somewhere made out of metal." I felt a touch of curiosity and this comment. While I was well aware that most earthbenders couldn't metal bend I couldn't' help but wonder if Toph really had created the bending style or if it had been lost for centuries and she rediscovered it. One of the most prominent sayings in my childhood had been that there is nothing truly original, if you have thought about it someone else has too. I didn't know whether that saying had any truth in it but it defiantly made me think.

* * *

We were walking along an elevated road that pressed against one of the walls in Omashu when I noticed a yellow glow below us. I desperately tried to remember this part but only came up with a blank. My knowledge of this episode was limited almost exclusively to the battle between the Gaang and Azula. As I peered down I realized that it was two people, surrounded by guards. In a flash memory hit me. It was Mae, her mother and her little brother Tom-Tom. A loud rumble from above us alerted me to what appeared to be a rock slide. I shot backwards, away from the ledge as Aang destroyed the boulders. This of course also caught the attention of the people below us.

"The resistance!" I heard a woman, probably Mae's mom shriek. The other figure, Mae began to run straight at us. I knew that there was a steep incline slope to slow her down but I doubted that would do much.

"Crap," I hissed before turning to my friends.

"We got to go!" I cried, grabbing Katara's hand and tearing across the elevated road as fast as I could. Aang and Sokka were close behind but so was Mae. I could hear the sounds of small daggers implanting themselves in the wall, only failing to reach us because of Aang's airbending.

"Quick, this way." A strange voice called. I didn't even pause to think, following the voice and vanishing along with my friends from Mae's sight.

It was dark and quiet for a while before a torch lit up. I blinked in shock to see three men in earth kingdom clothing with scarves around their mouth and nose and hats to cover their eyes. Right, the resistance, of course, in all the excitement I had forgotten temporarily.

"Thanks for saving us." Katara told one, standing and dusting herself off. I quickly followed, moving to stand beside my friends.

"Who are you?" Aang questioned, not looking entirely comfortable with the disguises the men were wearing. After a moment the hats and scarves came off, revealing two men in their mid-forties and one young man about my age. One of the older men, who I assumed was the leader bowed formally.

"My name is Yalan and I am leader of the resistance here in Omashu. Welcome Avatar. " We bowed back, not having to introduce ourselves as it was pretty obvious who we were. Something about Yalan's sentence interested me but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"What happened here?" Aang asked. Before anyone could reply Sokka added.

"How did the fire nation win, and how long have they been here?" There was silence. Yalan sighed and gestured down the tunnel.

"Follow me and I'll answer your questions." He took the torch from the other man and began the decent. My companions and I followed close behind while the other two benders watched our backs.

"Four days ago the fire nation came to Omashu. I was the leader of the king's elit guard so I approched him and asked him what was to be done. He told me to sit back and do nothing." I could feel the anger radiate from Yalan at the prospect of his king practically giving up.

"Bumi just... gave up?" Aang asked softly, not seeming to believe it. If I hadn't known that this was already going to happen I would have been upset as well.

I forgot the conversation as we came into the main cavern. Hundreds of people were here, talking, sitting around cookfires and hundreds of other various activities.

"It doesn't matter now," Yalan stated softly, "The only path to freedom is to fight the fire nation."

"That's not true," Aang pointed out, "There is another path to freedom, leave Omashu. Reatreat, leave so you can fight another day." Yalan looked bothered by that.

"How can we? Omashu is our home, we cannot just abandon it."

"I don't know Yalan," his other companion stated looking thoughtful, "Living for another day sounds like a pretty good option about now." Yalan frowned in thought before he finally agreed.

"Fine, but there are thousands of people who need to leave. How are we going to get them all out?"

"Suckers!" Sokka exclaimed, drawing our attention to him. Grinning like a maniac Sokka explained.

"You're all going to come down with a nasty case of pentapox."

* * *

Acting sick had been pretty fun actually although I felt a little as if we were participating in a zombie walk. It was getting pretty hard not to laugh at the terror in the eyes of the guards. However, I was careful to keep an eye out for a little fire nation toddler. I didn't see him but I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

It was late at night when Aang returned and the headcount had been finished. Tom-tom had made it to us without my noticing and I had quickly taken the infant into my care, releasing Momo from babysitter duty. Katara couldn't help but try to maul the little guy. I had to admit the eight-month old was adorable but my focus was distracted from him when Yalan spoke.

"Sure he's cute now but he'll grow up and join the fire nation's army. You won't think him to be so cute then, he'll be a killer." I jerked and glared at Yalan.

"Do you not think that the fire nation feel the same way about our children? This little boy's nation does not mean he will be a killer. There are fire nation scribes and shop keepers just as there are earth kingdom scribes and shopkeepers." I pointed out sharply.

"You can't blame the children for the mistakes of their parents and you have no right to group all fire nation citizens as ruthless killers. Did it ever occur to you that there are fire nation soldiers who have no choice in what they become? Did you ever think that there were fire nation villages that are slowly starving to death as all their food goes to the war effort that has no purpose except to hold a tradition started by a madman?" I stated. Yalan frowned at me. I could see he was thinking about what I said. I decided that just having him consider my words was enough for now and left the conversation, gently bouncing Tom-tom on my knee.

"A messenger hawk!"

* * *

I walked beside my friends, for the first time since Kyoshi island dressed in my full warrior regalia. Tom-tom was being held by Sokka who didn't seem to mind that much. We stopped when we saw the three girls approach. I couldn't help but gasp when I saw Azula as it suddenly really hit me. These girls were no older than fifteen, maybe sixteen where Mae was concerned. Sokka stood slightly behind me to my right, Aang stood to my direct right and Katara to my left. I was actually surprised at how well the orange cloth hid Aang's tattoo.

The familiar sound of Bumi's laughter attracted my attention to the elderly earth king being lowered to the ground from a crane.

"Hi everybody!" The insane king laughed. I felt a touch of disappointment. I probably wouldn't get a chance to talk to him but I wanted to. I wanted to know how it had been so obvious to him that I was from another world. Aang smiled at the sight of Bumi than turned and projected his voice across the area.

"We're ready to trade." I saw Azula turn to Mae. Her words were loud enough that the voice could be heard but the words weren't. I frowned, I wasn't going to leave my fiends in the dark.

"They're going to break the trade." I warned, "Sokka we need to be ready to get the baby out of the way." I could feel the shift in the atmosphere among my friends. Katara's hands readied to bend, Sokka began shifting back and forth preparing himself to run. Aang relaxed his muscles in preparation to begin his main form of bending. I shifted the position of my arms so with one movement I could slide my bow off my shoulder and notch it. All my practice was about to pay off.

"The deal's off." Mae called, her voice loud enough for us to hear. In an instant they realized that we had expected that. Aang ran straight towards them as the crane began to lift the metal sarcophagus that held the aged king, Sokka ran in the opposite direction, protecting the child while Katara and I moved closer, reading ourselves for battle. I noticed the shock in Azula's eyes at how fast we had moved and I could almost see the cogs turning in her head. She had figured out that we knew what was going to happen before hand, she just couldn't figure out why. She didn't have time to think long, she lunged forward, shooting a blast of blue fire at Aang. To her shock he shot up into the air, far higher than any normal human would. My attention was distracted from the fire nation princess by Mae raising her arm. I knew what she was going to do. In a instant my bow was down and strung, the first arrow shooting towards her hand. Despite my practice I wasn't a perfect shot, the arrow just clipped the edge of one of her fingers. Judging from the yelp of pain though I had managed to make a cut. I kept my eyes wide open, looking for the girl in pink who was by far more dangerous than her companion in black. There! Ty Lee was trying to get at Katara from the back while she battled Mae. A single arrow was sent flying at the girl, only to miss completely when she dodged. I grimaced and notched another one sent it flying than sent the next. The first arrow was for her to dodge, which she did. The second was close behind but in a slightly different direction. Once again it missed the acrobat as she flipped out of the way. I snarled and switched weapons, replacing my bow with my fans from Suki. I charged forward, my entire focus on Ty Lee.

We engaged in a flurry of quick blows. Ty Lee was fast and it was a struggle to keep up with her acrobatic tendencies. One moment she would be in front of me, the next behind me trying to hit pressure points. I quickly began to follow her technique and just kept moving, making it hard for her to figure out where my pressure points were.

"Need a hand ladies?" I ducked as a blue boomerang flew over my head, managing to smack into Ty Lee, giving her a gash across the cheek. Katara quickly abandoned her fight with Mae to charge onto Appa. I followed behind, shooting two arrows to make sure that the two fire nation girls remained where they were. Once I was on his tail Appa took off, causing me to scramble onto his saddle with much more haste than I would have liked. For a minute I laid on the familiar leather, taking a breather. I was covered in sweat and I was pretty sure I had lost at least seven arrows. I sat up, keeping my eyes open for Aang and Azula, knowing that they would be on one of the mail chutes. Sokka spotted him first and directed Appa in the right direction. It didn't matter, Aang shot Bumi and himself off the road towards us. Either adrenaline of overestimating the weight of Bumi caused Aang to completely miss, shooting over our heads and into the city below. Appa flew up, needing to get a better look at where to land nearby. I allowed myself to relax slightly, pushing sweaty bangs out of my face.

We finally found a place to meet Aang but we were to late to catch up to Bumi. Despite the disappointment on Aang's face he didn't question my reasons for not telling him everything that was about to happen. I found myself smiling. My friends respected me and cared for me and we would all give our lives for each other. In my mind there was nothing better in the world.


	28. Swampy Business

Chapter 28

Swampy Business

I leaned back on Appa's saddle, casually stripping a branch and turning it into a shaft for an arrow. Katara was leaning over the other side, looking down at the ground below while Aang stared off into space. Sokka too seemed to be feeling the lack of purpose the last day had given us. It wasn't until my ears popped that I noticed that we were losing altitude. I wasn't the only one.

"Aang?" Sokka called, trying to snap the grey eyed airbender from his reverie. "Aang!" Aang started, looking up at Sokka in shock as though hearing him for the first time.

"What?"

"We're losing altitude," Sokka pointed out, gesturing at the tree line steadily drawing nearer. Aang looked surprised for a moment before apologizing.

"Sorry, I thought I heard a voice… calling me." To my surprise Sokka didn't snort derisively, instead looking thoughtful.

"Well, enough weird stuff has happened to us," Sokka admitted. After a moment he clued in on all our surprised looks.

"What?" He challenged. I shook my head, laughing slightly.

"Nothing, but we do need to land." Of course Sokka couldn't be totally changed in an entire day so he quickly protested.

"Why? Just because a swamp talked to Aang?"

"No, because the swamp is going to tell Aang who his earthbending teacher is and I don't particularly care to be depressed by a giant whirlwind." There was silence for a moment then Sokka shook his head.

"I don't know why I try anymore."

We landed on one of the more dry areas of swamp land, looking around.

"So how is a swamp going to tell me who my bending teacher is?" Aang asked me. I frowned.

"Well, I'm not sure how it does what it does. The process is never explained but this swamp shows people their past and in the occasional case, their future. The problem is that you have to be alone." My friends frowned, not liking that idea very much.

"So you're telling me we have to separate? But what if we get lost? We might never find each other again." Katara pointed out. I shook my head.

"Not quite, the illusions will lead you towards the heart of the swamp, that's where we will meet up." I explained with a sigh.

"I still don't like this," Katara stated. I frowned than admitted.

"Neither do I. I just don't know what would happen if we try to leave. The swamp might want to show us the visions and stop us if we leave before. That's the problem, I don't know the motives behind this. It might be fine with us leaving while at the same time it might become angry that we aren't listening to it." I felt like pulling out my hair. I was so frustrated and confused. Katara picked up on my frustration.

"We'll stay here for today, if nothing comes by tomorrow morning we'll leave. Does that sound fair?" I smiled nervously and nodded. Sokka huffed, not looking very pleased while Aang but his lip, thinking nervously.

"Well if we're staying I'm getting firewood." Sokka stated, striding off. I looked up at the sky. It was only about an hour after noon, we wouldn't need firewood until later. I frowned, looking off after Sokka than shrugged.

"I'll go after him." I called to Katara and Aang, plunging into the underbrush after the young watertribe boy.

* * *

_Sokka _

I hacked at another branch, starting determinedly at it. Part of me understood what Pala had been saying, however the other part was insisting that we climb on Appa and get out of here. I didn't like the way this place felt, like it was watching me.

"Sokka?" A voice called. I looked up, frowning. The voice sounded like... I froze when I saw her. Standing in a clearing not far away was Yue, dressed in her priestess robes of silver and pale blue. She smiled at me, her eyes meeting mine then turned and walked away. I dropped the bundle of sticks and vines I had collected and bolted after her. What was Yue doing here? I ran after her, my feet sloshing through the muddy water. She never looked back, never sped up faster than a walk and yet she remained constantly in front of me.

"Yue stop!" I cried, frustration growing as she vanished out of sight. In frustration I screamed, slamming my machete into a tree. Groaning I pulled my weapon out and leaned against the damaged tree, running a hand over my wolf-tail.

T_his swamp shows people their past and in the occasional case, their future. _

It hit me like a load of bricks, the swamp had been showing me my past and I had followed it like an idiot. I leaned back. I would just have to wait here, they would realize soon enough what had happened and come looking for me. My face flushed in embarrassment. I was not looking forward to the teasing I was going to get for this.

* * *

_Maddi_

"Sokka?" I called, looking around in confusion. I was sure he had gone this way. I continued walking, calling the water tribe boy's name.

"Sokka?"

"Mom!" I jumped in surprise, slipping and falling into the murky water. Yelping in shock I shot upwards, cold water filling my clothes. A peal of laughter rang out, causing me to look up. A little girl, about five or six years old stood in front of me. She wore her hair in two pigtails secured by red cloth. She wore a pretty blue dress that looked like it had water tribe origins but had been adapted for a warmer climate. Around her neck was a familiar pendent. In shock I lifted my own necklace. The two were perfect matches, only the string was different. While mine was a simple black cord the little girl wore a red silk ribbon. Her eyes were a pale brown and her skin matched my natural skin tone. She had the high cheekbones and brow that I recognized from myself along my dad's slightly upturned nose. Her chin was stronger than mine though and her face was more defined, less soft. She beamed at me, eyes twinkling as she tried to hide her laugh.

"You're so funny mom." She laughed, and took off running, her feet passing on top of the swamp water.

"Wait!" I shouted, tearing off after the girl, Sokka forgotten.

It felt like I had been running forever but the girl had vanished and I couldn't find her. Slowly I began to decrease my pace. Looking around I realized that I was completely lost.

"Great, just great." I muttered, spinning around again, "Why on earth does this always happen to me?"

"If I knew that then I would also know how you came to be here. Sadly I do not have answers for either." I jumped for the second time today, turning to find myself face to face with the familiar figure of Nut. With a sigh I allowed myself to relax.

"Hello, long time no see. To what do I owe this particular visit?" I asked. What was it about me that had spirits so fascinated?

"You're lost." Nut replied with a lofty tone, "As for why we are drawn to you-"

"That was rhetorical," I snapped before pausing, "And you read my mind again." Nut paused, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully.

"I suppose I did. It is hard not to when you project your thoughts so powerfully." I grunted in reply.

"So why are you here? Unless you can tell me what I just saw I don't really see a point in you being here." Nut tutted lightly, shaking her head.

"Actually I thought I might introduce you to a friend of mine. Madison meet Ashvattha, the spirit of the tree." I blinked owlishly as another spirit emerged in front of me. He was tall, even in human appearance with a sturdy build. His clothes seemed to be a mix of leaves and vines while he had armour made of what looked to be bark. He looked older than most of the spirits I had met so far, in his early fifties I assumed, but I could tell that in reality he was younger than them. He nodded to me formally.

"I have heard much about you young spirit-walker." I turned to Nut, unsure of how to process that particular introduction.

"So you're the spirit of this swamp." I finally replied after Nut ignored my silent plea for help. Typical, she reads the thoughts I don't want her to and ignores the ones I do. Ashvattha nodded again.

"That is correct. I must admit I have had very few chances to show anyone their potential futures, it was refreshing to give two on the same day." I smiled, that meant that Aang had already seen the vision of Toph. Good.

"Can you tell me what my vision was about?" I asked timidly. I wanted to know who that little girl was. Ashvattha looked surprised at my question.

"Didn't she tell you who she was?" I furrowed my brow in thought.

"She called me her mom." Ashvattha nodded again. I was beginning to get the idea that he was a spirit of few words. Judging from Nut's reaction to his reply my assessment was correct.

"Oh for the love of- just answer the question already." The spirit of the north star insisted. I nearly chuckled at her reaction. Ashvattha sighed, a sound that reminded me of a soft wind rushing through willow branches.

"Yes, that child is your daughter, or at least your potential daughter. With the ripples you are causing no future is certain any longer. However if you continue on your current path she will exist... at least it is highly likely." I grimaced, it was a lot to process.

"Then can you please direct me to my friends?" I asked, deciding to take the time to really think on it later. Ashvattha pointed in front of me to the right.

"Thank you." I replied and walked past, letting the spirits vanish back to their world.

I pushed through the underbrush, gnats buzzed around my head, taking bites out of my skin. I swatted another one away only to slip down a slope. Rolling I slammed into the back of someone. The person yelped and promptly lost their footing.

"Maddi!" Katara yelped, running over to help me up, ignoring her brother who looked particularly cross at being shoved into the water.

"Sorry." I winced, helping the water tribe boy out of the thick water.

"Thanks." He grunted. I looked around then laughed softly.

"Looks like I'm the last one to this reunion huh?" I asked. We laughed together before I looked around again. Something was missing but what?

"Who are you?" I jumped. A short, dark skinned man dressed in huge fig leaves stepped in front of us. Despite his short size I knew he was a strong bender. Waterbender I remembered at once, in the show he had bent vines into a giant monster to scare the group away. But for whatever reason he hadn't attacked us this time. I suspected that it had to do with the length of our time here, Sokka hadn't done that much damage to the swamp, therefore we didn't need to be intimidated. We looked at each other. Katara quickly stepped forward.

"I'm Katara from the southern water tribe, this is my brother Sokka, our friend Pala, and Avatar Aang." The man bowed formally.

"Greetings I am Hue. I protect this swamp. What brings you here to the swamp?" I listened as Katara explained, leaving out my knowledge of the future. It was best kept a close secret between the three of us anyway. Hue looked surprised. He grinned and quickly gestured at us to follow.

"Come with me." Hue lead us a little farther north to a gigantic tree.

"I reached enlightenment under this very tree. I hear it calling me, just as you did avatar." Sokka snorted.

"Yeah it seems really chatty."

"He really isn't." I replied with a sigh earning strange looks from my friends. Hue sat down and we followed his example.

"You see this entire swamp is just one gigantic tree. Branches spread and sink and take root and then spread some more into one great big organism like the entire world." Aang frowned, tilting his head sideways in thought.

"I see how the tree is one thing but the whole world?"

"Sure. Do you think you are any different from me? Or your friends? Or even this tree? If you listen hard you'll realize that everything breathes together, grows together. We're all living together, even if most folks don't act like it. Like your friend's necklace says, everything is in harmony and all of us are connected, even the elements are connected. I blinked, looking down. I had forgotten to tuck my necklace back under my dress after seeing the spirits. Now it was where everyone could see. I blushed and held it up. The four elements glimmered in the half-light from the setting sun. Katara stared at it for a moment before shaking herself out of it. She turned back to Hue with a frown.

"Then what were our visions about?" Hue gave a small smile.

"The swamp shows us that we are all connected, that time is an illusion, that distance doesn't matter and that those we believe are out of our reach are never truly gone. We're still connected to them."

"But in my vision I saw someone who I had never seen before? What does that mean?" Aang asked. Hue smiled knowingly.

"You're the avatar, you tell me." I could almost see the light bulb go off above Aang's head.

"If time is an illusion then it is someone I'm going to meet... My earthbending teacher!" He cried, shooting into the air, once again defying gravity. Hue shrugged.

"Well I don't know about the specifics but if you say so."

* * *

The next day after finding Appa and Momo with the swamp benders we were on our way. Aang was grinning like a maniac, so excited to finally know who his earthbending teacher was. Sokka was just happy to be out of the swamp with a full stomach. Katara on the other hand was looking at me thoughtfully.

"So when did you get that necklace?" She asked me after a moment of thought. I shifted uncomfortable.

"I got it at Kyoshi Island."

"That long!" Sokka yelped, shooting up to look at me incredulously. I nodded.

"Yep, I got it for really cheap. The same vendor who gave me this." I gestured at the earth kingdom dress I was wearing.

"Didn't you guys wonder where I got it?"

"I thought Suki gave it to you." Katara explained, "You started wearing it right after you started learning from the Kyoshi warriors after all." I paused, thinking how they could have come to that conclusion. It made sense actually.

"I suppose. Anyway, no one wanted it so I bought it. I liked it because it kind of reminded me of what this world is going to be like after the war as well as our group."

"There's no fire nation people in our group." Sokka pointed out.

"Not yet," I agreed, "But eventually Aang is going to need a firebending teacher."

"Zuko right?" I spun around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash at Aang's voice.

"WHAT!" Sokka shouted. I winced.

"That was my ear." I snapped, holding the throbbing body part.

"What do you mean Zuko is Aang's teacher? That crazy guy has been chasing us across the world!" Sokka looked quite alarmed. Katara also seemed to be bothered but not to the extent that her brother was.

"Zuko isn't all bad, he freed me from Admiral Zhao after I got caught by him one time."

"Aang, when did Zhao catch you?" Katara asked. Aang looked nervous for a second before plunging into the entire story. I listened to the entire story. I was even shocked when Aang told us how Zuko hadn't attacked him, instead just telling him to leave.

"But if he such a good guy... why was he trying to capture you in the first place?" Katara asked.

"Zuko had his reasons," I stated softly, "I think that I'm the only person outside the royal court who knows the real reason why he is chasing Aang and how he got that scar." I replied softly. The somber expression on my face seemed to be contagious as soon enough all my friends looked equally serious.

"So... what happened to him?" Sokka asked. I chewed my lip.

"I don't think I have the right to divulge it all... but Zuko never had a good relationship with his father. He was always considered the disappointment of the royal family. Anyway, Zuko was allowed into his father's war room one day and argued against using an entire battalion as bait. Anyway, it ended with Zuko being banished with a fresh scar over his eye." Katara's reaction was immediate as she clued in. I hadn't been quite as subtle as I thought I had been.

"His father... did that to him." I didn't reply but my silence was answer enough. We were quiet for a long time. I could see how sickened my friends were at what I had just revealed.

"Just... don't ever tell him we know. Let him tell us himself if he wants to." I insisted to them, "I probably shouldn't have told you any of that."

"But then why would he try to catch Aang, why was he so important."

"What better way to break a person then convince them that they deserved what they got and then send them out on a hopeless mission. A mission that after two and a half years turned out to not be a futile as it was thought to be."

"They told him to look for the avatar and if he caught me his honour would be restored." Aang stated, connecting the pieces of the many conversations he had with Zuko.

"That's sick." Katara snapped, blue eyes filled with anger and determination, "What sort of father is Ozai anyway? The spirits damn him." I blinked at Katara in surprise. She looked ready to tear right into the fire lord herself. I smiled.

"Like I said, don't tell him, don't treat him as someone to be pitied. Treat him as you would one of us." The silence stretched on for a while. Finally Aang broke the silence.

"So what can you tell me about my earthbending teacher?"

* * *

_A/N:_

_ashvattha - sacred banyan tree - fig tree _

_\- gives visions of those we believe we have lost (not necessarily died). If connected to the spirit world such as the Avatar you can see visions of ones that you may meet in the future. _

_So tell me what you think? How was this chapter. Sorry that it is another short one but there were some pretty major steps taken. What do you think about Maddi spilling Zuko's secrets? What do you think about her vision? Please review, I love hearing from you. _

_Princess Kassie Out._

_P.S. There is supposed to be a line break after Sokka's Point of View. However it kept disappearing on me when I was editing this chapter. If you didn't see it please let me know and I will try to fix it. Again. _


	29. No One Beats Toph

Chapter 29

No One Beats Toph

The town that Toph lived in was one of the cleaner ones we had visited. It was only bested by Aunt Wu's village who had used flower beds to hide the lack of plumbing. Actually it was rather clever what Aunt Wu had done putting flowerbeds under each window so that when someone dumped out the chamber pot or bath water it was dumped into the flower beds. It was a natural fertilizer and it kept the town clean and beautiful. This town had ditches carved into the sides of the road where the much could drain away into the sewers. To cross the roads there were large square rocks at the corners of the 'sidewalks' short enough and with enough space that carrages could pass through easily.

As we walked through the streets Sokka's eyes were drawn to a shop. In the front was a green bag with the earth kinngdom coin sown onto the front. He was inside the shop quicker then I could say avatar. Katara, Aang and I looked at each other and followed him in. While Aang debated with Katara and Aang over getting himself the bag I allowed my thoughts to wander. It had been two days since the swamp and I couldn't get that little girl out of my head. She looked like me, so much like me it was hard to try to figure out who her father was. There were so many men that could potentially be the one. My closest hints were what she was wearing, a blue dress and red ribbons. This was frustrating, for all I knew her entire outfit could be gifts from her family. I could totally see Sokka doting on any of our kids. I shook my head, I was seventeen and thinking about my child. That made me pause, actually according to what I figured I was probably almost eighteen if I wasn't already. My mind drifted back to my daughter with one question floating through my mind. What was her name? What had I named her? Would I have more children? Would I have a boy?

"Pala? What do you think?"

"Sure." I replied absentmindedly. The normal names I had wanted back when I had been in my world weren't going to work to well here. David and Mariah were pretty clearly not from this world.

"You aren't even listening." Sokka pointed out. I looked up at him.

"The bag is nice. Buy it."

"Okay now you're just cheeting off your knowlege aren't you?" I sniggered slightly before vanishing back into my thoughts. What would be my top names be for children here? June was an option, it was a name from my world as well as this one. However it reminded me to much of the bountyhunter and I wasn't excatly a fan. After a few more moments I realized all the names I was coming up with belonged to someone in the franchise. Giving it up for a lost cause I dragged myself out of my thoughts. Sokka was buying the bag, Aang beside him. Katara though was looking at me thoughfully.

"So what are you thinking about?" She asked causually. I opened my mouth and realized that I didn't really have an answer. After all saying 'I'm thinking about the guy I'm going to marry' wasn't excatly the sign of a strong independent woman.

"My daughter." I replied after a moment. Katara nodded thoughtfully. I had told my friends about seeing a little girl who called me mom. as my vision. I couldn't excatly not tell them after Katara had admitted to seeing her mother.

"You want to know who you had her with?" Katara asked. I blinked in surprise looking at her questioningly.

"How do you know?"

"Because that's what I would be doing in your situation." She explained, "Besides, you probably want to get married soon, right? And if you can figure it out then it will make everything a lot easier." I frowned.

"Why would I want to get married..." I trailed off, remembering. Already I had been called an old maid by someone. At the time I had thought he was just insulting me. Now however it occured to me that women got married a lot younger here. Technically Katara was old enough to actually get promised to someone or even married. By sixteen most girls were married in the earth kingdom. You were considered unable to be married if you were thirty or older. A perminant old maid.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to marry yet Katara. Back where I come from if you marry when you're twenty it's unusual. Most people marry when they're in thier mid twenties to thirties. We have pretty long lives though because of our technology so we have more time then the average person here." I paused.

"Actually for some reason benders live to be about the same age as people in my time or even older." Katara's eyes became distant as she thought about what I had said. A smile tugged at my lips.

"So what about you and Aang?" Katara jolted out of her thoughts. Turning to look at me I noticed her face had become slightly darker and gained a red tone. She was blushing and quite heavily.

"I... I don't know." She admitted with a light stutter. It remineded me how old she really was. Katara was only fourteen, she was going to feel awkward when approching a relationship.

"I've seen the way you look at him. You like him." I stated frankly. Katara's blush deepend. I chuckled and gave the young teen a break.

"You know the way you look at him reminds me of the way he looked at you when he first met you." After dropping that little bomb I walked over to talk to Sokka, leaving the gobsmacked waterbender behind me.

Even though the deed was done and Sokka had bought the bag he was still debating on whether it had been a good choice or not. An earthbending teacher was advertized but Aang had turned it down, instead asking if there was an earthbending master about his age. The guy had laughed, proclaiming that the only earthbending master who was teaching was Master Yu. Aang wandered away, disappointed.

"So where is she?" He asked me. I smiled lightly.

"Don't worry you'll find her soon enough. Trust your gut." Aang nodded, thinking back to what he had seen.

"I think The Boulder is going to win back the belt at Earth Rumble 6."

"He's going to have to fight his way through some of the best earthbenders to do it though." Aang's face lit up like the fourth of july.  
"Excuse me, but where is this earthbending tournament excatly?" He cried as he rushed over. The boys grinned. I knew they weren't going to give Aang anything.

"On the island of nonya - none of ya business." The boys walked off laughing. I watched a knowing smirk on my face as Katara chased after the boys.

* * *

Earth rumble six was actually surprisingly easy to find. It was in a cave, down a passageway into a huge underground cavern which had been adjusted by benders to suit their purpose. No one sat in the first fifteen rows, choosing to sit back almost near the top of the cavern. I understood their reasons but I found myself sitting with my friends in the seventh row.

"I wonder why no one sits here." Aang stated. I flinched away as a boulder at least ten times as large as I was slam into the seats beside us.

"Maybe that's why?" Sokka suggested. Katara sent me a worried look.

"Is that going to happen again?" She asked nervously.

"No, we're fine." Katara nodded and settled back. The leader of the ring, a big man with a cruel face and long black hair that fell in greasy strings took center stage, bending a pedistil for him to stand on. Something about his appearance unnerved me. Perhaps it was the fact that I knew he was eventually going to be hired to chase down Toph.

"Welcome to Earth Rumble Six!" He bellowed, his voice echoing through the cavern.

"I am your host, Xin Fu." Katara twitched beside me. Turning curiously I raised an eyebrow to my friend.

"What's wrong?"

"This is just going to be a bunch of guys throwing rocks at each other isn't it?"

"That's what I paid for." Sokka proclaimed in excitment. I laughed then turned to Katara.

"To be honest that is exactly what it will be at first. However they really do save the best to the last." I added, smiling slightly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aang perk up.

Despite my pleasure at seeing Aang's reaction I quickly zoned out after the Hippo's arrival. It just wasn't interesting for me. Aang and Sokka were both quite interested but just like me Katara wasn't particularly interested. It wasn't until Xin Fu shouted that I came out of my reverie.

"The Blind Bandit."

"That's her!" I exclaimed, jerking out of my half-unconscious state. Aang grinned.

"I know." Katara straightened, eyes drifting back to the ring.

"Wait, she can't really be blind... can she? I mean it is just part of her character."  
"Nope," I corrected. "Toph's really blind, its what ends up making her the best earth bender in a few hundred years. She also creates a new form of bending."

"She what?" Katara asked me in shock. I didn't reply.

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl." The Boulder stated. Toph grinned wickedly and pointed right at the Boulder.

"It sounds to me that you're scared, Boulder." The Boulder frowned as though unsure of how to treat the attack. Finally he replied.

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanch!" Toph snorted.

"Whatever you say... The Pebble." Then she laughed and any doubts that Aang might have had were gone.

* * *

_Toph_

I smirked at my cue, hefting the cold metal above my head, my fingers pressed against the cool firmness. The etchings stuck out forming the symbol of the Earth Kingdom, a symbol I knew well. A platform of earth pushed me up from the cavern below the ring. Dirt imprinted itself into the soles of my feet and Xin Fu's old, rough, voice blared as I passed the earth that formed the floor of the ring.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Boulder versus your champion..." Xin Fu's overpowering voice rang out. He always liked hearing the sound of his own voice.

As the earth I was on joined seamlessly to the rest I could feel the racing hearts, the roar of the crowd. Exhilaration. I narrowed my focus, I could feel the two girls beside me. Holding something and judging by the lack of extra weight probably feathers or cloth.

"The Blind Bandit."

"It's her!" I heard the voice of a young woman cry. There were four people sitting in the seventh row. I snickered. Pretty brave sitting that close, some matches could be quite physical. The feeling of the girls moving brought my attention back to the ring. Judging from the change in the way they stood, they were dropping their arms to reveal me. I was still holding the belt but two of the girls approached, taking the belt and fastening it around my waist. I couldn't remember their names, not that they were really that important. The familiar form of the metal pressed against my stomach. I could feel the weight of The Boulder standing almost directly in front of me, four strides away. He needed to lose some weight soon, otherwise he and The Hippo would become impossible to tell apart. A wicked smile twisted my lips. I was ready to get started. Of course The Boulder couldn't help but put on a show.

"The Boulder feels conflicted fighting a young, blind girl." He wanted a show? Sure, why not. I'd give him his little show.

"It sounds to me that you're scared, Boulder." I teased. I was on my game.

"The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings, and now he's ready to bury you in a rock-a-lanch!" I snorted. Really, a rock-a-lanch? Was he kidding? He didn't deserve a retort.

"Whatever you say... The Pebble." My finger pointing at him. His voice, along with the weight in his feet let me know exactly where he was. I couldn't help myself. The jibe was just to easy. He was setting himself up for failure with a name like that. Just for effect I added a laugh. I wasn't scared or intimidated by him. I could beat him in his sleep.

"It's on." I fell silent. Becoming serious and focusing in on what was about to happen. He started one of his battle cries. I could feel all his weight shift onto his back foot. The second the heel of his front foot impacted, sending vibrations through the earth, I took action. The vibrations told me exactly where he was and based on his position I knew what his attack would be. More importantly, I knew the quickest way to take him down. I flipped the palms of my hands face up and swept my left foot over the ground, the thick, hard pads rasping against the rock. My vibrations were more subtle then his, for now. I could feel them reach him, not that he was aware. He wasn't in tune with the earth, he just moved it.

I could feel his weight shift again. He was about to thrust his foot into the ground to create a boulder. His signature movement from the time I had 'watched' him. The opponents weren't supposed to know the moves of the challenger but I had the advantage. No one was really careful because I was blind and no one really knew how I could bend so well without sight. I was able to pick up a few things just by standing under the ring. My foot slid off the ground and rose into the air before I thrust it into the ground. I could feel the soil creeping under my toe nails and the lines in my feet as well as the force pushing through the ground to meet his foot as it lowered. He was swung to the side, forced painfully into the splits by my bending. He howled in pain and I struggled to keep my face passive. He sounded like a sick gopher-dog. I remembered how when I was younger my father had made a similar sound when I had rushed to hug him and slammed my head into a particular part of his body. Apparently men not only treasured that part, it was also extremely sensitive. Huh, and they think girls are weak. I allowed him to nearly finish his cry before I ended it, sliding across the ground and sending three pillars of dirt to throw him out of the ring. He hit the wall with a resounding thud. I allowed my cold demeanour to fall away as I grinned. No one could beat me.

"You're winner and still the champion the Blind Bandit." I threw my hand into the air. Sure the entire thing was rigged except the last battle but I didn't care. I had been champion for three rounds now, ever since I beat the previous champion. I had come down here to watch the Earth Rumble Three. When the option for a challenger arose I took it in a heartbeat. I kicked that guy off the stage almost faster then I had The Boulder.

Xin Fu jumped down from his podium. I ignored his entrance. I knew the drill by now, he would offer gold to someone who could beat me, I would beat them. Though really no one had challenged me for the last two Earth Rumbles. I doubted anyone was about to anytime soon.

"I'll do it." Maybe I was wrong. I reached out with my bending and realized it was one of the people in the seventh row. A boy about my age based on his voice. As he walked up I noticed how light he was. A featherweight was challenging me? Maybe I should go easy on him, I didn't want to hurt the kid after all. Well, perhaps I could make him back down. If he changed his mind I might let him go.

"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" I proclaimed. The familiar sound of the crowd oohing in response to my mocking just made me grin wider.

"I don't really want to fight you." Was he kidding? Or was he giving up so soon?

"I want to talk to you." He was serious.

"Boo! No talking!" Another guy in the seventh row cried. It sounded like this guy's friend wasn't the supportive type. I felt the boy step forward. Well, I might as well finish this off right away. I moved to send him flying into the air... and he disappeared. While he should have done that, something wasn't right. There hadn't been any weight under the small pillar. I should have felt him go flying. Instead it felt like he had just stepped off and into thin air.  
It was only the faintest of vibrations that alerted me to the touch of his feet directly behind me. He might actually be a threat.

"Someone's a little light on their feet. What's your fighting name, The Fancy Dancer?" I shot out. I didn't bother to make my voice loud enough for everyone. This was just between him and me now. I didn't let him reply, sending another pillar of rock, this one much larger under him. This time I did feel him get shot away. He didn't impact. I turned my head, trying to feel where he was while at the same time my ears strained for the slightest sound.

"No where'd you go?" I muttered to myself.

"Please wait." He was behind me. I hadn't even felt vibrations on the ground that time. He was defiantly a real threat and I wasn't going to play games anymore. My reputation relied on me winning this challenge. If I lost that would be the end of my career and Xin Fu would be furious. I could care less about Xin Fu but I didn't want to lose this. It was the only thing stopping me from going crazy up there.

"There you are." I spun around, forming a boulder and thrusting it in his direction. Perhaps a new tactic would work. The next thing I knew A strong gust of air knocked me over and sent me sailing into the ditch. I didn't wait, I stood up and began walking away. My physical pain was nothing, but my pride was bruised and I was furious. It was over, I would have to find some other way of bending and I would forever be known as the champion defeated by a lightweight. I was disguised and humiliated. Striding off I headed for the wall and my way home.

"Please listen. I need an earthbending master and you're the one who needs to teach me." Yeah right. Like I was ever going to accept even his name after this. I wasn't going to teach him earthbending. He seemed to be fine on his own anyway.

"Whoever you are. Just leave me alone." I replied sharply. I didn't care, I was getting out of here. I opened a cavern in the wall and slammed it shut before he could reach me.

* * *

_Maddi_

"Well that went well." I stated. Aang was looking downright furious with himself. Sokka too seemed to have become more serious now that Aang seemed to have lost his chance at an earthbending teacher.

"What do you mean that went well?" Aang asked miserably, "I ruined my chances."

"No you didn't." I comforted him, "You have what you need to find her. Just put your head to it." Aang's brow furrowed in thought as he remembered his vision.

"The flying boar." He murmured he hurried over to a young man standing on the street corner.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a girl. Dark hair, a white dress and a pet flying boar?" The man shook his head.  
"Sorry I haven't seen anyone like that. But I'll keep an eye out okay?" Aang nodded and moved on. It was his fifth person who made the connection.

"Well the flying boar is the symbol of the Bei Fong family. They're the richest people in town and the only ones who could afford an actual flying boar." Suddenly it hit me and I began to laugh. Why had I never made the connection before?

"What's so funny?" Sokka asked me in utter confusion.

"The flying boar," I explained, "In other words the symbol of the Bei Fong Family is a flying pig!" I couldn't believe that I had never really made that connection when I had watched the show. It was only now that I was living in their world that I realized that. Sokka sent me the strangest look but Aang just shook his head. He was to happy to particularly care.

The Bei Fong estates were huge, sprawling gardens and a huge two story tall house. Inside it was even more beautiful. We were sneaking around when a huge section of earth lifted, shooting us into the air. Katara and Aang landed in bushes while Sokka and I hit the dirt.

"What are you doing here Twinkletoes." I snickered, standing up.

"How'd you know it was me?" Aang asked, pulling himself out of the bush.

"Don't answer to Twinkletoes its not manly." Sokka argued as he sat up. Katara of course being a younger sister had to start a bickering match.

"Not manly? You're the one who's bag matches his belt." I could almost hear Toph not caring about us as she continued to question Aang.

"How'd you find me?"

"Well, you see... I had a vision and my friend helped me figure it out." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck with a guilty smile. A single eyebrow raised from Toph.

"What Aang means to say is he's the avatar and you're supposed to teach him earthbending." KatarToph turned away.

"Not my problem, now get out before I have to call the guards."

"Toph listen-" I started only to have the girl whirl around.

"How do you know my name? Have you been spying on me?" I grimaced. Great, more trouble for us to deal with. At least she hadn't called the guards yet.

"No, listen I know this sounds strange but... I'm kind of Aang's spiritual guide. I'm helping him with all the avatar stuff. Anyway, I know that you're the one to be his bending teacher. Who else could do it but the greatest earth bender of our generation?" I hoped stroking Toph's ego would help somewhat, maybe make her more willing to listen. Toph looked absolutely delighted to be referred to as such.

"I am the greatest aren't I?" She turned back to us, facing me. Her blank eyes staring directly at me. It was a little unnerving but I plowed ahead anyway.

"Yep. Listen Toph, we need you. You're stifled here, you're family thinks you're weak. Maybe you can prove to them that you are strong and powerful and that just because your blind it doesn't mean you're useless." I could see Toph thinking about it. She seemed to lose her pride after a while and she shook her head.

"I need to go. I'll think about it." What had left her so upset? I didn't understand. She turned and walked away leaving the four of us alone.

* * *

We were seated across from the table. Toph's father was at the head of the table with his wife on his right side. Toph was on his left side and master Yu to her left. I for some reason had been placed beside Yu while Katara was adjacent to me. On her right was Sokka who had Aang on his right. Each seat had a specific meaning. The top was for the head of the house, the father and the direct right was for the mother. The direct left of the father was for the eldest son which was only given up if the family had no boys. Then it went to the oldest girl. After that the placement was for the guests. The highest for the most esteemed guest, than male guests and lastly, female guests. The food was served, hot and steaming. Toph's meal was served last but her father seemed determined that it was still to hot and told a servant to blow on it. After Aang's little show Ms. Bei Fong addressed us.

"Avatar Aang, it is an honour to have you visit us." Toph's mother was quite pretty, her face usually pale from the white makeup on it. For me it was a little fake, the thick eyeshadow, the pale face and the rich coloured lips were just overdone. However I also understood how in this world pale was beautiful.

"In your opinion how much longer will the war last?" Toph's father added. He wore elegant clothes that were more simplistic than his wife. He had two whiskers that fell from just above either side of his mouth and were oiled so it appeared that one thick hair fell from each side. I twitched in distaste I understood that everyone wanted to get rid of the war but he and his family were thriving, they were not suffering as Haru had. They had no idea how lucky they were.

"Well I'm hoping to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer but I'll need an earthbending teacher to do that."

Toph's father smiled warmly and gestured at the man to my right.

"Well master Yu is the finest earthbending teacher in this part of the earth kingdom. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."

"That's a kind suggestion," I broke in before Aang could stick his foot in his mouth, "But I'm afraid we're looking for someone who would be able to travel with us, someone who could be mobile and handle the stresses of being consistently perused." I wanted to make our travelling sound undesirable to him and at the same time interesting to Toph.

"I am sure I can handle whatever a few children can." Master Yu replied. I bristled. Oh he was going down. Sokka seemed to notice my anger because he quickly began shaking his head, warning me away from offending the man. I grit my teeth and gave a very fake smile.

"Oh I'm sure you could handle it. After all, all we have to worry about is the fire nation hunting us, helping Aang master all four elements by the end of summer, and dealing with vengeful spirits." I left it there but I could sense Yu's discomfort.

After dinner we were given two beautiful guest chambers to be split between the four of us. Despite the kindness Katara and I ended up setting up in the boy's room. I hadn't realized it but I couldn't imagine not being close to Aang and Sokka. It made me worried for the future, what would happen after the war? Would I continue to travel with my friends or would I settle down with the man who I was to have my daughter with?

"Can I talk to you?" Aang and I jumped. As our backs had been turned away from the door neither of us had noticed her. Aang looked nervous but nodded once before remembering she couldn't see the motion.

"Sure."

As Aang and Toph walked away I felt a hint of worry. Would they be okay? Should I interfere and change this outcome as well? After a moment I decided against it. I knew how this would turn out and it was needed to show Toph how her father wasn't going to be able to see her as anything more then a child.

* * *

The next morning the ransom note was found and we set off to the Earth Rumble stadium. I watched silently as Toph was let down but the fighting group decided to keep Aang as he would earn them a lot of money. It took everything in my power to not interfere and let the events play out as they should. I only got involved to help get Aang out of the metal contraption that held him prisoner along with Sokka and Katara.

Returning to Toph's house was awkward and uncomfortable for me. I didn't like this and was all to happy just to leave right here and now. Toph stood in front of her parents and for the first time in a long time told them the whole truth.

"Dad, I know its hard for you to see me this way, but the obedient helpless little blind girl you see isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender. And I'm really, really good at it. I know I kept my life secret from you but you were keeping me from the whole world." She paused and her head rose slightly.

"You were doing it to keep me safe, I know but I don't want to be safe my entire life. But I'm twelve and I've never had a friend before. So now you see who I really am I hope it doesn't change the way you think about me." I winced as her father spoke.

"It hasn't changed the way I look at you Toph, in fact it had made something very clear to me. You've had way to much freedom. From now on you'll be cared and guarded for twenty-four hours a day."

"Dad!" Toph cried.

"That is final Toph." He turned, looking at us with cold eyes.

"Please escort the avatar and his friends out. They are no longer welcome at our house." We left Toph crying behind us and walked out the door. As soon as it was closed Aang looked at me.

"She'll follow." I comforted, "Just give her some time."

To my surprise we hadn't even made it to Appa when she came running.

"Toph? What are you doing here?" Aang asked, surprised. Toph grinned.

"My dad changed his mind. I can go." Both Katara and Sokka sent looks at me. I nodded slightly confirming the lie for what it was.

"Well we better get going before he changes his mind again." Sokka added, gesturing to Appa. I laughed, excited that our journey was back on track.

* * *

A/N: So I decided to post this chapter early as I was excited to see what you guys thought. For those of you wondering what happened to Avatar Day the truth is that I decided to skip writing it. That part of the story did not partain to my plot and personally I don't particularly like that episode. I decided it would be better to have a chapter that was smooth and well written and was important to the plot then to have one that the author struggled with writing and was choppy and rough. In addition any changes that might have happened there would also not effect the story line. Anyway I want to know what you think. Did I do a good job with Toph? Was she true to character? What did you think of this chapter overall? Thank you.

Princess Kassie Out.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. As I now have over 200 reviews.


	30. Rebirth

Chapter 30

Rebirth

_Zuko_

Sweat poured down my back as I rode the ostrich-horse. I could feel myself waver. I needed to stop and eat but I had no idea how far the nearest village was. My mind wandered to my uncle, I wondered what he was doing. Was he worried about me? Still, I needed to be on my own for a while. I needed to clear my head, regain my identity.

_"Tea tastes just as good whether it is in a ceramic or clay teapot Zuko." Uncle had stated softly, looking at the gift I had given him along with his own ostrich-horse. The minor earth kingdom noble could survive without the money, we couldn't. I had also taken his animal and bought the gift for my uncle. He deserved something nice._

_"I just wanted…" I trailed off, I didn't know how to explain what I had been thinking._

_"I need some time." I finally said._

_"Of course, when can I expect you back?" I paused._

_"I… I don't know… Uncle, I think… that we need to part ways for a while." I could see the disappointment in his eyes as well as the quiet acceptance. I turned then stopped. Turning back I crossed the small distance of our campsite and pulled my uncle into a hug._

_"I'll be back." I promised quietly as his strong arms wrapped around me tightly._

_"Please do." He whispered back, his rough voice catching slightly._

My eyesight blurred and I nearly fell off Chong. The ostrich-horse made a little gasping noise and changed his gait. I looked up and sighed in relief. It was a town, a small one but a town nonetheless.  
Relieved, I tapped Chong and cantered into town. The town was filthy and it seemed almost deserted. The few people who did wander the streets looked worn down. My eyes were drawn to a small stall that was open nearby. Walking over I spoke to the merchant.

"I'd like some water, A bag of feed and a hot meal." I turned over the last of the coins I had. I had left the majority with uncle. The merchant looked at the coins then up to me.

"I'm sorry, there's not enough for that hot meal, but I can get you two bags of feed and refill your water skin." I nodded. I'd have to find some other way to get food. My stomach rumbled in compliant. I passed the coins to the merchant, ignoring the hunger that gnawed at my stomach. There was a giggle beside me. Turning slightly I saw two boys holding an egg. I had a creeping suspicion I knew what was going on. I looked away. Less then a moment later there was a distinctive splat of an egg hitting someone's head.

"Hey!" The person yelped. I carefully kept my back to them, waiting.

"You, stranger, did you throw that egg."

"No." I replied, turning slowly. Five earth kingdom soldiers stood in front of me. One of them had egg in his hair.

"Did you see who did?" The tallest and the apparent leader asked.

"I'm afraid not." I replied blandly. Something told me that if I even thought of fighting back I would be in trouble. The leader, a tall man wearing a metal hat similar to my straw one narrowed his eyes.

"Well someone had to have thrown it."

"Perhaps a chicken flew overhead." I responded, doing my best to lack all emotion. One of the leader's men laughed but quickly fell silent at the angry looks from his companions. At that moment the merchant came back with two bags of feed and my water skin. I turned back only to find an earth kingdom solder taking the feed I had paid for.

"Thank you for your contribution to the army." He leered, taking off like a shot. The leader smirked.

"You better leave stranger, the price of staying is higher then you can afford." He tapped a large metal hammer that hung by his side. He turned then and left.

"They're supposed to protect us from the fire nation but they're little better then thugs." I frowned, it wasn't uncommon what this town was dealing with. It also wasn't my problem. I turned to mount Chong and the head of a young boy appeared from behind the saddle.

"Thanks for not ratting me out." I grunted and mounted Chong, ignoring the kid. He however had other plans.

"Here, I can take you to my home and feed your ostrich-horse. It's the least I can do." I didn't argue. The horse needed feeding as I did. My stomach growled in agreement.

_Sitting in the healing hut I watched the girl spread green paste over my uncle's swelling body. My stomach twisted at his disfigured form._

"You must not be from around here." She stated, "We know better not to touch the white jade, let alone make a tea and drink it." Uncle gave a sheepish smile.

"So what are your names strangers? I'm Song by the way." I froze and desperately searched for two names.

_"I'm... Lee! And this is my uncle..." I trailed off. I had no idea what to name my uncle Iroh._

_"...Mushi." Uncle Iroh leaned around Song and sent me a pointed glare. He wasn't pleased with the new name and was probably well aware of the fact that it came from his current appearance._

_"Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him junior."_

_"Junior and Mushi huh?" Song asked, turning to look at me. I quickly hid my furious expression behind a placid one._

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the loud cries of several animals. I had been lead to a farm by the boy, Lee. Turning to look at me he shrugged.

"No one can ever sneak up on us." He explained.

"No kidding." I responded, looking at the several dozen noisy animals. A rooster pig flew over and shrieked in protest.

Two people walked out of the wooden house. I assumed them to be Lee's parents. The woman looked tired, bags under her eyes, her shoulders slumped. She brightened slightly upon seeing her son. Beside her a man, strong and resolute came to stand beside her. Lee rushed up, grinning excitedly. As he over exaggerated my encounter with the 'soldiers' I found myself sinking back into a memory.

_"I haven't seen my father in a long time." Song stated, looking down sadly._

_"Neither have I." I admitted. The last time I had seen him was when his blazing fist was coming at my face._

_"Oh, is he fighting in the war too?"_

_"Yes." I replied. What else could I say? That he was a cruel monarch who burned his own son? When had I began to think of my father as cruel? Disturbed by both the conversation and my thoughts I stood and walked out of the house. I sat down, leaning against the wood frame. A moment later Song joined me._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't think. I guess it's a sensitive topic." She took a step forward and stopped then sat down beside me._

_"The fire nation hurt me too." She pulled up a loose pant leg exposing a burn… running up her leg. It became fainter as it moved away from her ankle. I stared in shock. The burn around her ankle wasn't as old as mine, maybe a year old. Slowly my mind made the connections. The burn on her ankle to cripple her or slow her down. The age of her scar. Her loose fitting clothes… I felt a chill crawl down my spine. I had heard of fire nation soldiers taking earth kingdom women as conquests. Some of the stories were about girls much younger then Song. This was the first time I had seen the effects of what many soldiers thought as their right. It was the first time I had thought of those women as people. It left me unsettled._

_"I'm sorry."_

"Does this stranger have a name?" I turned to look at Lee's parents.

"I'm…" I paused. What name could I use?

"Don't pry Sela, if he doesn't want to tell us his name then he doesn't have to. Anyone who can stand up to those bullies is welcome in our home."

I ended up helping build the roof on the barn, earning a free meal and a place to sleep for myself and Chong.

I woke up to the sound of the barn door squeaking. Sitting up I looked around. From what I could see there was nothing to be alarmed over. Still I wasn't taking the chance that I was wrong. I reached for my swords only to find them missing. Worry coursed through me. I stood and walked out of the barn. I could feel myself relax as the small form of Lee slipped away, my swords in hand. He was just a kid wanting to check out a type of weapon he had never seen before. I understood that most boys around his age would do the same thing. I watched his attempts of fighting with it from a little distance before moving to intervene.

"You're holding them wrong." Lee tripped in surprise, dropping the swords and turning to look at me in shock. I didn't knowledge his embarrassment knowing that would only make it worse. Instead I picked up my blades and showed him how to use them.

"Just like all swords these are an extension of your arm. Your problem was you were treating them as separate weapons. It is one weapon, like a double headed spear." I turned and passed the duel swords to Lee. He quickly slipped into the movements that I had showed him, sliding through each step like a dance. He was good, it reminded me of my first time handling the blades.

"That's enough for tonight." I stated, taking my swords back. Lee grinned at me, the gap from his missing tooth drawing my attention.

"I think you would really like my brother. He used to show me stuff like this all the time." I looked at Lee for a moment.

"Maybe I would."

_"What is it?" Song asked, noticing my eyes fixed on her ostrich-horse. _

_"I was just thinking. I replied. My thoughts were on how much faster uncle and I could travel with an animal. Part of me wanted to just take the animal but I couldn't. What was there that we had to travel quickly for? The only person was the Avatar but I didn't know what I would do if I did meet Aang again. My thoughts were also on the rebellion. Where could I find it? _

_"His name is Chong." Song stated, looking at the animal. "He helped us escape from our village after the fire nation attacked. He's still useful to go to market but... I think you need him more then I do." I looked at Song in shock. She sent me a sad smile. _

_"You're still trying to find your place in the world." She explained, "Chong helped me find mine, maybe he can help you find yours." _

* * *

The next morning I was ready to leave. Lee's mother had given me a small parcel of leftovers that would last me until I reached the next town. I was thanking her when the animals started squealing. Turning I saw a dust cloud approaching as the four 'soldiers' who 'protected' the town came flying up to meet us. Smirking, the leader nudged his ostrich-horse ahead of the rest.

"What do you want Gow?" Lee's father snapped, coming up behind his family in a protective stance. Gow smirked.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you, your son's battalion got captured." He turned to his team. "You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

"Dressed them up in Fire Nation uniforms and put them on the front line unarmed the way I heard it. Then they just watched." A quiver of rage ran through my body. How dare they mock these people.

"You watch your mouth." Lee's father snarled. I didn't wait for things to escalate. I rode forward, blocking the family from the pathetic excuses for men who were before us. My disgust only grew when they quickly made their excuse and rode away. Cowards. They wouldn't protect anyone from the fire nation. I had a sickening feeling in my gut telling me that the second they saw a flame they would run for the hills, tails between their legs.

"What happened to my brother?" Lee asked nervously. His father turned to his mother.

"I'm going to the front. I'll get Sen Su and bring him back." I said nothing. As Lee's father turned to grab his own ostrich-horse Lee came to me.

"Will you stay? Just until my father comes back?" I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, I need to keep going." I paused. Making a split second decision I leaned over and handed Lee something I treasured greatly. My knife.

"Read it." I insisted gently. Lee pulled off the cover.

"Made in the earth kingdom."

"The other side." I corrected.

"Never give up without a fight."

* * *

I hadn't been gone for more then an hour and already I was returning to the village. Part of me regretted giving the knife to Lee. I had told Sela about my gift after she told me what happened. She had been upset at first but had quickly forgiven me.

"You seem to like my son quite a lot." She stated finally. She paused then before adding.

"Gansu and I would welcome an extra hand around the farm. If you wanted you could stay here." I looked at her in surprise.

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't accept." I responded softly. Who knew what she would say if she knew who I really was. Besides, I couldn't live the rest of my life in a lie. I had spent to much time like that already. Sela nodded, disappointed. The moment I entered town I noticed the crowd. Lee was tied to the water tower in the centre of the town square.

"There he is! I told you he'd come!" Lee called, excited to see me. I ignored his cry, instead dismounting Chong and handing him to Sela. Turning back to the cowards I spoke.

"Let the kid go." Gow just laughed. Out of all of them, he had the most backbone as he was the ringleader. He was the one who would be the biggest challenge.

"Who do you think you are telling us what to do?" He retorted. I glowered and responded, contempt clear in my voice.

"It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're just sick cowards messing with a family who have already lost one son to the war." I saw Sela flinch out of the corner of my eye. I didn't know whether it was true but there was a good chance that it was. Once again Gow proved exactly how much of a coward he was. Instead of fighting me himself like a man he turned to one of his friends.

"Are you going to let him talk to you like that?" I didn't even move as the man rushed forward. Only when he was close enough did I pull out the hilt of my duel swords and knock the air out of him. True to his nature the man took off running. Gow sent out his other men. Both were dealt with quickly.

Gow stepped forward, pulling out his two war hammers. I felt my blood turn cold when he dropped into a bending stance. He was an earthbender. Using just my swords it would be a tough battle. The fight started. Slicing through earth with my swords, coming forward to try to hit him.

I lost myself in the fight. My sole focus being just to cut Gow once. If I managed that I had little doubt that he would take off running. I barely heard the warning from Lee. The earth rumbled, knocking me off balance. Taking advantage of my stumbling Gow threw a large chunk of stone at me. The last thing I felt was my back slamming into the ground.

I came to what must have only been a minute or so later. Shooting upright I attacked Gow with a new fervour. He began to bend but I wasn't going to let him win. With a cry of fury I shot a single bolt of fire at him. Gow jumped in shock, staggering back and off balance. I lunged forward, sending him flying into a building. As I approached he looked up, fear in his eyes.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne." Silence. Then finally someone broke the silence.

"Liar! I've heard of you, you're no price. You're an outcast. Your own father burnt your face." I spun. A confidence that I had never felt before spread through my body like fire.

"I am no liar! Yes my father burned and banished me but do you know the reason? Because I challenged him on the decision to slaughter loyal men and women for a pointless war! My father knew that I would end the war that I would have peace between the nations and he couldn't allow that to happen. Why do you think my father is after me? He doesn't want to loose the perceived power that Sozin The Insane saw as the fire nations _right_." I took a shaky breath. I didn't know where that speech had come from but somehow I knew it was true. Turning away from the crowd I walked over to Lee. No one moved. I slowly untied the knot and let the rope fall away. I took a step back from the shocked expression on the boy's face and held out the knife.

"It's yours." I stated softly. I hoped that my sincerity was clear to see. I watched Lee passively, letting him make the decision. There was still silence. I had the strange feeling that Lee's choice would determine the choice of the rest of the village. Slowly Lee reached forward and took the knife. It was a quiet, unsure acceptance but it was enough. Smiling slightly I stood and walked away, only pausing to take Chong from Sela's hands.

I rode away and I didn't look back.

* * *

_A/N: I want to just say here that there was something that happened in a flashback that some people might not agree with. What happened to Song was subtitle enough that hopefully it took you a while to pick it up. I didn't want to state outright what happened to Song as some people might get disturbed with it. So I hope I did a good job with this chapter which reminds me, what did you think of the changes Zuko is going through? Anyway until next time,_

_Princess Kassie Out. _


	31. Exhaustion

Chapter 31

Exhaustion

Maddi

Our second day with Toph was interesting. We were stopping for dinner and bed. Then Appa shook and bison fur flew everywhere. I shook my head and launched myself from the saddle, a trick that most of us had taken to. Toph was right behind me.

"Wow, you guys chose a great campsite. The grass is so soft here."

"Actually that's bison fur," I corrected, "spring means shedding." I had to agree with her though, the fur was extremely soft.

"Oh gross." Katara muttered trying to keep the hair off her. Good luck, I found myself thinking, anyone who was a pet owner knew just how hopeless that particular battle was. While Sokka, Aang and Toph played in the fur and Katara was distracted by their antics I focused on setting up camp. It was a duty I had become well antiquated with. Normally we would all work together but tonight we needed to have some extra time in bed. Katara was the first to notice and quickly she, Sokka and Aang joined me. Toph didn't seem to care, exploring the area and getting a sense of the place.

We were almost done when Katara realized that Toph hadn't helped at all.

"Hey Toph-"

"Katara, can you pass the bowls?" I quickly interjected. Of course Katara wasn't going to let go of something once she had seen fit to change it.

"Toph, can you get Maddi the bowls?"

"Never mind." I called, spooning out the soup into the wooden bowls. After a moment I called to everyone.

"Dinners ready." I wasn't unsurprised that Toph didn't join us for dinner. I was well aware of the pack that she had brought with her. But I also knew that her own food would run out in less then a week. Of course it was Sokka who had told me though I had no idea how he knew. For someone who was blind Toph sure knew how to keep things hidden from view.

We headed to bed early upon my insistence. My friends didn't argue though Toph looked disgusted. Katara did too actually, although I suspected it was for other reasons.

I was woken up by a panicked cry from Toph.

"Get up!" I shot upright, alarmed.

"What is it Toph?" Katara asked blearily.

"Something's coming." Toph replied, hand pressed against the ground to get a better reading on the vibrations.

"What is it?" Aang asked, noting in worry how I had packed up my sleeping bag. I noticed Katara and Sokka following my actions.

"It's like an avalanche, but not like an avalanche." Toph added, confusion filling her voice.

"Here's a hint, we need to move." I added. I tossed my sleeping bag into Appa's saddle. My friends followed suit and within minutes we were all on Appa's back.

"What is it?" Katara asked me, turning to look at me in worry.

"Why would she know? What? Do you need her to be your mommy?" Toph mocked. Katara spun back, anger Flaring in her eyes. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never told Toph about my situation.

"No, remember how I told you I was Aang's spirit guide? Well that's sort of right but basically I sometimes know things no one else does. I'll explain it to you in more detail later." I stated. Toph wrinkled her nose but didn't argue.

"So who is it?" Sokka interjected, "Zuko?" I shook my head.

"Zuko was lucky to get a boat, they wouldn't give him an advanced machine such as this." I pointed out.

"Who's Zuko?" Toph asked.

"Banished prince of the fire nation. He was chasing us around the world for a while." Sokka replied offhand, before focusing again on me.

"So if it isn't Zuko who is it?" To my surprise Katara was the one who figured it out.

"It's those girls from Omashu." I nodded, feeling ready to go back to sleep. Remembering last second that Toph had no idea what was going on I clarified.

"Yes. Azula, Princess of the fire nation and Zuko's little sister, her playmate, Ty Lee, and Zuko's old fiancé, Mai." I explained, leaning back and closing my eyes. Appa landed a moment later. Unlike my friends I didn't bother to get off. I had been overtired for a while now, my dreams made sure I didn't get more then five hours of sleep in one go. There was the occasional time when I would be able to sleep straight through but they were few and far between. I was also a light sleeper unless completely exhausted. I was getting close to that point but I wasn't there yet. I was woken up by Toph and Katara halfway through an argument.

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed. The volume of my own voice surprised me. Awkward silence coated the clearing like a coat of wet paint.

"You two are acting like children. Go to sleep, you can fight when the sun's out." This time neither Toph nor Katara backed down.

"Who died and made you queen?" Toph snapped, "you think you're so superior-"

"Don't bother trying to explain to her." Katara snapped at me, "she doesn't know what the word respect means." Sokka and Aang were trying to keep out of it but I could see that the battle was wearing on their nerves as well.

"What!? Listen here sugar queen," Toph snarled stepping forward. She froze, suddenly tensing up. I too became alert and looked up at the tree tops. Black smoke hung like a veil over the bright starry sky.

"Aww you've got to be kidding me." Sokka muttered. Once again we climbed onto a sleeping Appa, woke the bison and headed off. Unlike me Appa could sleep through almost anything.

We landed in a place that was significantly higher in altitude, halfway up the side of a rocky mountain.

"Finally. Don't bother setting up. Go to sleep." Sokka gasped, tossing his sleeping bag to the ground and collapsing upon it. He was asleep in an instant. Aang was right behind him followed by Appa.

"That's okay Toph wasn't going to help anyway." Katara snapped, using her bedroll as a pillow.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't realize baby still needed to be tucked into bed." Toph retorted. I closed my eyes and laid still in my sleeping bag. I was going to be the stronger, better person and just ignore it. The banter continued for a little while before Momo started screeching. I jerked upright. I hadn't been able to sleep at all with the talking and now once again they had found us.

"Okay that's it, this time we stay to fight." I didn't argue. I was ready to drop where I stood. The machine, some sort of cross between a tank and steamroller came to a stop. A cabin opened and Azula was revealed alongside Ty Lee and Mai. I didn't know what type of reptiles they were riding not that I cared that much.

"We can take them, three on three." Toph crowed.

"Hey!" Sokka and I cried in tandem.

"Sorry I was only counting benders." Toph replied flippantly. I had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't really that sorry.

"Newsflash," I hissed, eyes narrowed at the blind girl, "but if you're only counting benders it's one on three."

"Fine then, three in five." Toph corrected. My lip curled into a snarl at her response. I had the distinct image of tearing her thick hair out in chunks.

Azula wasn't the type to just sit around waiting. In a moment she and her 'friends' had kicked their lizards into movement. I watched in horror as the giant lizards climbed right over Toph's rocks. My friends pulled a hasty retreat, Toph creating a giant wall to slow down those chasing us. It was to high and steep for the lizards to climb but Azula fixed that with a bolt of blue lightening. The earth exploded with a crack that seemed to shake the air around us. Appa was already in the air and out of range by the time the smoke cleared.

We sat quietly on Appa as we flew away. None of us were happy about having to leave like cowards. We were even more unhappy when a pale light peaked over the horizon.

"I still think we could have fought them." Toph stated finally, leaning away from us over Appa's saddle.

"Are you kidding?" Katara asked, "Those girls are scary. The flying daggers and the blue firebending... and I don't even know what the third can do."

"Oh no it's morning. We've been up all night with no sleep." Sokka moaned, staring out at the rising orb. Heavy bags under his eyes. No one replied so he continued.

"I've never gone all night without sleep before."

"Neither have of any of us." I replied sharply, "Your point's what?"

"We'll be okay." Aang muttered from where he sat on Appa's head. Sokka proceeded to freak out about 'never not sleeping before'. I bit my tongue to not snarl at him to shut up. I was in a bad mood, the lack of sleep still bothering me.

"Every time we land those girls are there. We'll just have to keep flying."

"We can't keep flying forever." Aang pointed out tiredly.

I must have fallen asleep after that because the next thing I knew I was falling. I woke up with a panicked scream. Reaching out I grabbed Toph, holding on to her and the saddle. Aang was desperately trying to wake up Appa who had fallen asleep while flying. Some small corner of my mind muttered something about falling asleep while driving but I ignored it, to focused on not letting the small blind girl fly away. Toph of course had a strong grip on the saddle as well. All my friends were screaming but I felt as though something had lodged in my throat constricting my ability to make a noise. Aang must have woken Appa up because our decent was suddenly corrected slightly, becoming less steep. That didn't stop us from hitting the treeline and then the ground, leaving a deep gouge in the earth.

We scrambled off the bison and hit the earth ourselves. Aang looked up at us, purple bags dark against his pale skin.

"Appa's exhausted."

"Then we should follow Appa's example and go to sleep." Sokka pointed out, "We've put enough distance between us and those girls for now." He promptly fell into his sleeping bag and did just that.

"Of course we could have gotten some more sleep if Toph didn't have so many issues." I could feel the earth shake as Toph practically screeched.

"What?!"

"Shut up both of you." I muttered, trying to hide my head under my pillow. Aang, ever the peacekeeper stepped forward.

"Alright, everyone's exhausted. Let's just get some rest."

"No! I want to hear what Katara has to say. You think _I_ have issues?"

"Please shut up." I muttered again. Sokka snored beside me. Lucky guy.

"I'm just saying, if you helped out sooner we could have set up camp earlier-" I tensed. That was it.

"Leave her alone Katara."

"You're blaming ME for this?" I felt my heart sink. I sat up, nudging Sokka slightly. This was going to get ugly fast.

"No, no she's not blaming you!"

"Oh no, I'm blaming her." Katara retorted to Aang who was looking more and more desperate by the minute. Toph glowered at Katara which was unusually scary because of her blindness.

"I never asked you for diddly doo da. I carry my own weight." She snarled "Besides, if there is anyone to blame it's sheddy here." Aang's reaction was immediate.

"You're blaming Appa?!" I flinched and stood. I needed to stop this before it blew out of control.

"If its anyone's fault-"

"Stay out of this Maddi." Aang snapped, spinning to look at Toph in fury.

"Appa has saved your life three times today! If there is anyone to blame it's you!"

"Aang-"

"You are always talking about how you carry your own weight but you're not. He is. Appa is carrying you weight."

"_Aang_-"

"He never had a problem when it was just the four of us!" There was silence for a moment and I could see Aang's realization that he had messed up bad.

"I'm outta here." Toph muttered. Sokka staggered to his feet and ran in front of Toph, his arms stretched out.

"Wait." He didn't get to say anything else as Toph earthbended him to the side and continued to tromp off.

"What did I just do?" Aang asked, sitting down, head in hands. I sighed.

"I'm going after her."

"Maddi." I turned back. Katara was looking at me worriedly, "Is everything going to be okay?"

"Yes, as long as nothing changes. Let me deal with this." I told her and headed out after Toph.

* * *

I had tracked Toph out of the forest and up to a rocky mountainside. She had to have met Iroh which meant that the two of them were having tea somewhere up above. With a sigh I started up the slope.

I was tired, dirty and sweating by the time I heard Iroh's voice. I was well aware that I could have taken the winding path up the mountainside but it would have taken longer.

"So, where is your nephew?" Toph's voice echoed down for me to hear.

"I've been tracking him actually." That was Iroh. I took a second to wipe away some sweat dribbling down my forehead.

"Is he lost?"

"In a way. His life has changed and he is going through very difficult times. He is trying to figure out who he is." I noticed Iroh didn't sound sad so much as worried.

"So... now you're following him?" The conversation continued but I couldn't quite pay attention. I was tired and worn out. Inside I was calling myself various nasty names for taking the more difficult route.

"Hello Maddi." I looked up. I was nearly at the top and Toph was looking down at me over the edge. I grinned guiltily as a pillar of rock shot me up onto the path Toph and Iroh were sitting on.

"Ow." I muttered, sitting up from where I had fallen, "Was that really necessary?"

"You were following me." Toph replied, sounding frustrated.

"Of course I did. I wanted to apologize." Toph opened her mouth only to close it abruptly. Apparently she hadn't expected me to say that. I smiled at Iroh's surprised face.

"Hello General Iroh, it is nice to see you again." Toph now looked completely lost.

"You know him?" I chuckled.

"Toph, meet General Iroh of the Fire Nation. His nephew is Prince Zuko. The guy who chased us across the world? General Iroh meet Toph, Aang's earthbending teacher." Iroh shook his head, a wane smile on his face.

"I should have realized that you and your companions were part of it." He shook his head. I sighed. We needed to get going.

"Well I think that the three of us are headed in the same direction. Considering Aang and Zuko both have a knack to get into trouble we need to head down. Azula was chasing us Iroh. If Zuko is around it's going to be a three way fight that we do not want to see come to a conclusion." The change in Iroh's face was so severe it scared me a little. Iroh nodded firmly and made a clucking sound. To my surprise an ostrich-horse came at the command. Climbing on Iroh offered his hand to me. I took it and found myself seated behind the old man.

"Yah!" I turned to make sure Toph was following only to find that the young earthbender was keeping up with us, using earthbending to keep up. Biting my lip I held onto Iroh. Praying that nothing had changed this once and we would make it to them in time.

* * *

We all arrived in the town around the same time Katara and Sokka had. Zuko was unconscious in the middle of the road. While Toph, Katara and Sokka helped Aang fight Azula I ran over to Zuko along with Iroh.

"Zuko." Iroh called, shaking Zuko's shoulders. Worry clear in his face. Slowly the Fire Prince came to. Blinking he sat up, holding his head. I felt a jolt when I saw the bloody gash on his head. The three of us then quickly joined the chase. Azula, was exchanging fire and lighting bursts with my friends. However she was getting her butt kicked soundly. Katara and Sokka sent water blasts and weapons shooting at her while Aang and Toph both attacked and protected the other two from Azula's attacks. I was shocked at how well the four of them were working together. It was like a well oiled machine. I reached for my arrows and then realized in shock I had forgotten them on Appa. My disgust for myself grew. Luckily I always kept my fans on me. However, they were little use against Azula at this point. So instead I watched as Zuko and Iroh joined my friends in fighting off the Fire Princess. They chased her into a corner with no escape. Azula looked at each one. A sly grin crossed her face. I felt my heart sink.

"Iroh! DUCK!" I howled. Iroh dropped to the ground like a stone, avoiding a shot of blue electricity by mere inches. Azula's face showed complete shock. I had warned Iroh before she had taken aim. I was lucky by the time she clued in it was to late to change her direction. Unluckily for me the bolt of lightening didn't fizzle out of existence. I felt the electricity pass by me, raising all my hair up on end. It had been a good foot away from me. I couldn't imagine how powerful it would have been if it had hit me. The only thing that saved Iroh was the fact that he could deflect electricity. There were several shouts as everyone attacked Azula at once, even Iroh sprung up, shooting a bolt of fire at his niece. Azula blocked with a swirl of blue fire. By the time it had cleared she had vanished.

Then everyone turned to me.

"How did you know that she was going to attack me?" Iroh asked softly. His eyes weren't suspicious, just curious. I shrugged, carefully avoiding the elderly man's eyes. Zuko looked gobsmacked as he looked between his uncle and I. I gave a innocent smile, trying to look like it had been an accident. Instead I probably looked more guilty from the looks I was getting. I sighed.

"I have my own secrets." I told Iroh and Zuko firmly. I would fill in Toph later. Iroh nodded but Zuko looked frustrated at my unwillingness to divulge my secrets.

"Well I'm glad that you weren't hurt." I told Iroh before turning to my friends.

"Come on, we need to get going." Aang nodded and blew into his bison whistle. While we waited he turned back to Zuko.

"You know I do need a firebending master. If you'd like you can join us." I gaped at Aang in shock. What on earth was going on? Zuko frowned, looking at the avatar in confusion. He looked at us all and then turned back to Aang, lowering his voice. I frowned. I couldn't hear what the two were talking about but whatever it was Aang didn't seem upset. Not that he was happy either. He just seemed to accept whatever Zuko was saying.

Appa landed not far away from us. Lowing softly to Aang. My companions clambered onto the bison. I paused as I was about to climb on. After a moment I dug into my pack. Finding what I was looking for I slid back down and walked over to Zuko.

"Take this. You need it more then I do." I told him softly. I handed the object to him, pressing it into the firebenders hands. Turning I climbed back onto Appa. I grinned as I looked down, noticing Zuko's confusion as he stared at the scroll in his hands, the red ends marking it as fire nation in origin.

* * *

_Sorry that this chapter took so long to post. It was killing me slowly, not wanting to be written. To the guest who reviewed to my new/old crossover I have not forgotten this story. I still love it and I will never stop writing until the story itself is completed. Anyway, for those others let me know what you thought of this chapter. What do you think of Maddi's choice to give Zuko her scroll? What do you think are going to be the effects of it?_

_Princess Kassie Out._


	32. Sandbenders

Chapter 32  
Sandbenders

Toph's reaction to my full story was disbelief. After we filled her in on the entire journey the disbelief lessened.

"Wow, I can't imagine twinkletoes stuck in an iceberg." She sniggered. Aang had looked thoroughly put out at the comment but eventually laughed it off.

"Yeah it was definitely a shock for Katara and Sokka... mostly Sokka." I replied with a cheeky grin. Sokka turned and looked at me with an indignant 'hey!'. I sniggered slightly.

"Well it wasn't a cakewalk." Katara pointed out, "Things got pretty hard at times."

"I kinda got that feeling." Toph replied, leaning back and sticking one foot into the air.

"You don't know the half of it. You try dealing with frustrating spirits all the time and not go insane." Katara did a double take and turned back to me.

"Okay so I know about Hei Bei and La taking over your body... that's not all the time. Who else?" I blushed, suddenly realizing that I hadn't talked to my friends about all the spirits I had come into contact with. Taking a deep breath I started the tally.

"In order of when I met them it was Kyoshi, I think it was Hei Bei then, after that I met La for the first time along with the other four elemental spirits-"

"You met Tui and La?" Katara asked in shock. I nodded.

"Yeah, and Agni, Prithvi and Lung."

"Who?" Sokka asked, furrowing his brow. Aang grinned and explained.

"Agni is the spirit of fire and Prithvi is the spirit of earth." He paused and then looked at me in confusion, "Who's the last spirit?" I stared at Aang incredulously.

"Lung? Aang? Lung is the main spirit of air. How do you know everyone else's spirits but not your own?" Aang looked at me totally confused.

"You must be mistaken. There isn't one dominate spirit of air. We have four, North, South, East and West. One for each temple. They represent the equality that airbenders believe in." I felt my heart sink as I remembered a conversation between Lung and I so long ago.

_"Yes, well, the truth is that my people are a minority, how am I supposed to repopulate an entire nation with one child? One who is destined to marry a waterbender? I need more than one person." I frowned. I may not have known a lot about Legend of Korra but hadn't there been two airbenders born from Aang? Besides wasn't there a lot of airbenders later in the series? I couldn't remember._

"Give yourself a generation or two and you'll have a lot more." I stated as I turned away, "You don't need me to be an airbender, it's more trouble then you want." In a rush of air, Lung stood in front of me again.

"I need an Airbender who knows of my existence."

Lung had disobeyed the rules of the spirits and because of that he had lost his solid form and been banished from interacting with people from the world or interfering with their lives. I hadn't realized that his punishment included his memory erased from the minds of the very people who represented him. His desperation to make me an airbender suddenly made a lot more sense. For the first time since I had met him I felt sadness for Lung's state. His people almost entirely wiped out, and the one who remained would never know that he had a powerful spirit rooting for him. Sure Lung was selfish, manipulative and a class-A jerk but he didn't deserve to be forgotten.

"I'm not mistaken." I insisted softly before continuing on. I would let Aang come to me. I had wet his curiosity and it would only be a matter of time.

"So anyway, after that I met Lung again on his own and then I met Nut, umm, her entire name is ridiculously long but she's the spirit of the North star. After her I came across La again which you all know and then in the Swamp Nut introduced me to Ashvattha, the spirit of the tree that made up the swamp." I paused, "I that's it so far I guess." All my friends were gawking at me, causing my face to turn a brilliant crimson. Sokka finally threw up his hands.

"Do you have any more secrets you want to tell us? What have you been a bender all along or something?"

"No." I replied deadpan, "I think I've told you pretty much everything now. Except parts of the future and we all agreed on me keeping that a secret unless I thought otherwise." There was silence for a moment before Toph asked.

"So... what were we talking about before the whole crazy spirit thing?"

* * *

Toph teaching Aang how to earthbend followed the similar routine it had in the series, the main change being I went with Sokka so he wasn't alone. Despite my attempts he still managed to get stuck in the fissure in the earth. Sometimes I wondered why I bothered.

The day after Aang suggested that we take short, day-long vacations to relax for a while. Of course he was still expected to work on his bending but all of us were excited for it. Even I was, although trepidation followed as well. I was going to do everything in my power to stop the bison nabbing. This meant that I wouldn't be able to go into the library which was truly disappointing. I had been hoping for some new reading material as my scroll was now in the hands of Zuko. Not that I regretted my choice. I was just going to end up really bored if I didn't have something else to do. True the tradition of stories (and games) had continued on but there were only so many things we could do. However, with Toph joining us some old stories might reappear, after all, the best part about a story was telling it to someone new.

Aang got the first vacation choice which lead us to a prairie. I couldn't help but laugh at the cute little singing prairie dogs. They were adorable. Also, seeing Momo with his head stuck down a prairie-dog hole was hilarious.

Then it was Katara's turn. She chose Misty Springs Oasis. A natural ice spring in the middle of a desert. It wasn't quite as beautiful as Aang remembered. The ice was almost nothing and the town built around it was clearly within a year of becoming a ghost town. Aang looked quite uncomfortable with the praise he had given the town yesterday and chuckled nervously.

"I guess it changed ownership since I was here last." I didn't reply. I noticed a Sandbender eyeing us suspiciously. I felt a sting of anger. Had they been planning to steal Appa from this point? Or was he just honestly suspicious?

We headed into a restaurant and watched in interest as the bartender created drinks for customers. He would take the fruit that the customer suggested, dice them up with swords then deposit them into plain water that had been boiled to purify. I could tell because I could see a pot of boiling water going in the back. Sokka looked like he had hit the jackpot.

"I don't see a reason we can't have some fruity beverages while we plan." Sokka salivated. I smiled. Actually, one of those drinks did look good. As we walked up to the bar the guy who had previously ordered stood up, slamming into Aang and covering the young Airbender in punch and fruit chunks.

"Oh me I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed grabbing a napkin to star dabbing at Aang's shirt. Aang just laughed.

"Don't worry, I clean up easy." He explained and bent himself dry. I ducked as a piece of mango shot over my head and sent him a teasing glare. Aang laughed guiltily then realized I was teasing and shook his head with a smile.

"You're a living relic!" The man cried in excitement. Aang looked completely befuddled.

"I'm a what?"

"A relic-"

"I know what it means." Aang quickly interjected. I gave a small smile. It was probably painful to remember that all that was left of his people at this time was relics. The man didn't seem to care. I looked at him, trying to remember his face.

"An airnomad, right in front of me! Professor Zei, head of anthropology in Ba Sing Se University." He reached forward and grabbed both of Aang's hands like he was someone famous. Then again, Aang was the avatar and the last airbender, in a way he was. I remembered this guy now. He was the over-exuberant professor who died... my thoughts trailed off as I realized that this man actually was going to die in a few hours. At the same time, Appa was going to be kidnapped. My heart faltered. I wouldn't be able to save both of them without help but I had completely forgotten about Zei. It had been so long since I had watched the TV series connected to this world. I looked at my friends who were watching as Aang was mauled by the over excitable man. I moved forward slightly and caught Katara's arm.

"Can I talk to you for a moment."

"Sure." Katara replied looking at me in confusion. I took a deep breath and pulled her to a quiet part of the bar with no one within listening distance.

"There is something going to happen in a few hours. I won't be able to be there because I'm going to try to change something else... anyway this guy is going to tell Sokka about a library owned by a Spirit and he's going to choose it as his vacation. When you guys go inside you need to be super careful. This spirit doesn't trust humans, he thinks we will always use knowledge to try to kill each other. He's right in part..." I trailed off noticing Katara's look. Blushing I continued.

"Sorry, went off topic there. Anyway, the point is you can't let Sokka say anything about using the

information he found against the fire nation or the spirit will sink the library. Toph will slow the sinking down with her bending from inside... but professor Zei decides that he wants to stay behind, well, actually he's so absorbed in his reading he doesn't even notice." I took a deep breath. And looked at Katara pleadingly.

"I'll try to save him." She agreed. I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. That's all I can ask."

"We're going to The Library!" Sokka exclaimed from beside the bar.

"And so it begins." I muttered to myself.

* * *

The entire ride on Appa professor Zei talked about the library. Constantly. When he wasn't talking about the library he was desperately looking at the large expanse of dunes that seemed to go on forever. While he was definitely annoying I couldn't bring myself to hold a grudge. I didn't want him to die. No one deserved to die. An image of a fire nation soldier with an arrow in his neck flashed before my eyes causing me to wince. Would I ever forget that man?

"There it is!" Toph cried, pointing. I choked back a laugh as all my companions lurched to the side to see what she was pointing at.

"That's what it will sound like when one of you see it." I couldn't help it. I collapsed into giggles which Toph quickly joined. The dirty looks I was getting from my friends didn't effect either of us.

After I calmed down. Professor Zei showed us an image of the library.

"How can a giant ornate building be so hard to spot?" Katara asked, looking around. I could almost see a light bulb go off as she turned to look at me with wide eyes.

"Unless... its buried underground." I smiled.

"Partially." I replied softly. Sokka sent the two of us a strange look and then raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do you want to fill him in?" I asked Katara, turning back to the young waterbender. She looked surprised but nodded and walked over to her brother, lowering her voice and whispering in his ear. She didn't get very far because even as she was talking to him, Sokka's eyes were scanning the desert. I could see the change in what he was looking for as Katara whispered into his ear. She just finished when Sokka called out.

"There it is!"

"Where?" Aang shouted, shooting up from where he had been steering Appa. He looked over the sand dunes and frowned. I grinned and looked at the twenty-some foot spire sticking out of the sand. The spire was a simple tower the exact same colour as the sand around it. It had no entrances or exits other then a window right below the stylized roof. Despite the amount of effort it probably took to carve it like that all I could think about was that it looked like soft-serve ice cream. Although the heat of the desert could be the cause of those thoughts.

"That can't be it, its too small." Aang told us, looking completely confused.

"No its not." Sokka corrected and placed his hand over a good portion of the map, showing the similarity between the tower and the spire in the picture. "The rest of the building is underground."

"WHAT!" Professor Zei cried causing us all to jump from the sheer volume. We were so shocked that Aang almost missed the fox running across the sand with a scroll in its mouth. Almost being the operative word.

"What's that?" He pointed at the red streak crossing the desert. I blinked in surprise. The fox was moving at speeds that only cars could travel at. Then again, so could Appa, besides, the fox belonged to a spirit, all rules stopped applying in that case.

"That's one of Wan Shi Tong's knowledge seekers."

"Wait I thought you said he had pretty assistants." Sokka pouted. Professor Zei looked at him in confusion while Katara, making the connection snorted, gently slapped her brother upside the head.

"You're such a pig." She stated and then turned away. Aang took Appa down and we landed in the sand nearby the tower. Only then did Professor Zei seem to snap out of his shock and declare that he was going to excavate. Toph tilted her head toward him, then shook her head and walked over to the tower.

"You don't have to. The entire building is still intact inside. You just need to find a way in, that's all." Sokka paused, thinking. He looked at the distance between the window and where we stood. I brushed some sweat from my brow. It was ridiculously hot here. I was actually appreciating the looseness of my earth kingdom dress, it allowed for a lot of airflow which helped keep me cool.

"Well climb in through the window and give it a look." He finally decided. Clambering back onto Appa he pulled out a thick coil of rope that we used as a clothesline and tied it into one of the holes in his boomerang.

"Come on Boomerang you haven't failed me yet." He muttered, tossing it up into the air. Toph stepped back.

"I say you guys go on without me." She stated. Katara looked confused for a second before nodding.

"I'll stay behind too." Katara wasn't surprised but Aang and Sokka were.

"Okay I understand Toph but why are you staying behind? You love reading." Aang pointed out in confusion.

"I do." I agreed, "And if you can borrow a book or two I will be eternally grateful." I paused.

"Listen, I need to be here in case the worst happens. As amazing as Toph is even she could use some backup. We never know what might happen." My friends picked up on my meaning while at the same time I kept professor Zei out of the loop. I would have to remember what I had just said and use it as code for 'something bad is going to happen, I'm going to change it'.

I watched as Aang, Katara, Sokka and professor Zei clambered up the rope and into Wan Shi Tong's library.

"Do I want to know?" Toph asked, walking up beside me. I sighed and looked at the petite earthbender.

"Just if I need you I'd like it if you don't let me down."

* * *

Hours later and Toph and I were hiding in Appa's shade. I honestly didn't know how the bison could stand such temperatures with his thick fur coat. Even if it was the summer coat. Appa didn't seem to mind the heat too much so we hid in his shadow and praised him. Well, I praised him, Toph made small talk between myself and the bison.

A loud rumble alerted me to what was happening. My heart jumped to my throat. Someone must have slipped up. I had hoped to avoid the library sinking but sometimes there was nothing I could do. Toph sprang up with a shout and tore across the short expanse of desert to stick her hands right into the tower wall.

"Hold on Toph, don't let go." I shouted, tearing up Appa to grab my bow.

"Right because I'm just going to let go." Toph shouted back, sarcasm dripping from her tone. I knocked an arrow and waited. I could hear Toph grunting in exertion. I peered out over the dunes, looking for any sign of movement. It was only a moment later that I saw the signs. My heart was racing a thousand miles a minute as I stood on Appa's back. The sand-gliders flew across the desert so quickly that in less then a minute they were close enough I could count the number of men on them.

"Toph, no matter what you hear, do not let go of that tower."

"What are you-"

"Do you understand or not Toph!" I barked. I could feel my stress level rising. My mind wandered to professor Zei. For a moment I felt worry build inside of me but I shoved it aside. I needed to focus on what was happening here. I had trusted Katara with the knowledge, she would do everything she could. I knew she would. The sand-gliders stopped and the men jumped out. I counted ten in all. Carefully I took aim and let my arrow go. The arrow landed quivering between one man's feet.

"Identify yourselves." I barked. I wondered if everyone could hear my heartbeat from where I was standing. A few nervous looks quickly identified the leader. He was the man the others all turned to look at. There was no verbal response.

"I know that you can speak En- The Common Tongue. Tell me your name and your purpose here." I snarled at the leader. I had to watch my words, I almost called the language English. Considering I wasn't actually speaking English that would have just lead to confusion. Still silence. Only the sound of wind and Toph's struggles could be heard.

"Fine. Let me tell you what you're going to do. You saw this animal back at the town and realized that it was valuable. So you decided to steal him. After all it was only a bunch of kids who owned it right?" I could see a little surprise but I wasn't done yet.

"So you followed us and tried to discover when the bison would be the least protected. After you obtained the animal you were going to sell it to some traders heading to Ba Sing Se for a good price." There was definitely shock in their eyes now.

"What you don't know is that while we are young we are warriors. The currently occupied girl is the greatest earthbender in this generation. The boy and girl in blue who are not here currently are the prince and princess of the southern water tribe. The boy in yellow is the Avatar and if that is not enough to discourage you to leave then know this." I stepped forward, bringing myself into full view.

"I am Maddison. Girl of all four nations. I have been blessed by the spirits and have walked among them for a long time. I am the avatar's spirit guide and if you cross us and try to steal our bison know that you will never rest again. The very spirits will attack you and misfortune will fall upon you like a plague. Not even the innocents will survive." I was totally bluffing but they didn't need to know that. Slowly I knocked another arrow.

"So what do you think?" I called down, eyes steel cold, "Will you risk your lives and the lives of your families for a few measly gold coins?" We were silent in a stare down. It felt like an eternity. Slowly the lead man made a gesture with his hand. A muscle twitched in my arm but I held firm. I would wait for him to make the first move.

The sandbenders slowly retreated, eyes riveted on me until they climbed on their sand-gliders and took off. As soon as they were far enough away I collapsed onto Appa's saddle, breathing hard. I hadn't realized that I had been holding my breath as they had left.

Fifteen minutes later there was an ugly sucking noise. I jolted upright. My friends were standing in the sand beside Toph. Katara, Sokka and Aang were all fine. Professor Zei wasn't there. I slid down Appa's tail.

"Everyone okay?" I asked. Toph was panting on the ground, Sokka was bent over, hands on his knees. Aang was looking hot and flustered. Katara looked devastated.

"Pala, I'm sorry I couldn't-" I raised my palm, cutting her off.

"You did your best. The rest was up to him." Katara nodded but she didn't look completely convinced.

"Come on. I don't want to sleep here." Sokka stated, clambering onto Appa's back. We followed right behind him. I smiled warmly as Aang petted Appa's head. Somethings were worth taking stakes on.

"Alright buddy, let's get out of here. Yip yip!"

* * *

_So I updated early because I'm going on a trip. I will be back soon but I figured I might as well get this episode done before I left. So let me know what you think? Do you like the changes? How Maddi stepped up to the challenge? What did you think of her speech? As always_

_Princess Kassie Out._

_(And just because I probably need to say this once in a while: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.)_


	33. Relaxation

Chapter 33

Relaxation

The water was cold but relaxing. A pleasant contrast to the heat of the desert. All of us had stripped to our underwear and were enjoying the cool water.

"Waterbending ball!" Katara screamed, launching herself over the edge of the waterfall above us. The ensuing total wave soaked not only is but the ground around us. I had a sneaking suspicion that the ground had been watered in a twenty-mile radius. Sokka shrieked, shooting upright and lurching out of the water.

"Gee Katara, 500 year old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on them."

"Sorry." Katara apologized, reaching out and slowly pried the water from the old parchment. Sokka grunted.

"We need to figure out what our next step is." He stated gesturing to Aang to join us from where he was soaking Appa. Aang walked over, bending the moisture from his clothes. Toph, noticing that we were gathering joined us and plopped onto the ground beside Sokka.

"First matter of business." Sokka stated, looking immensely proud of his words, "we know when the fire nation is weak, now we just need to use it to our advantage." Katara frowned thoughtfully.

"How will that help though? An eclipse doesn't last very long, its not like we can attack the fire nation on our own..." She trailed off, eyes going wide as she looked at Sokka, "You can't be serious." Sokka nodded with a goofy grin.

"We'll need to time it so that Aang is facing the Fire Lord just as the eclipse begins."

"Um, no offence Sokka but what are you talking about?" I interjected in confusion. I was completely lost.

"We're going to build an army and attack the fire nation on the day of black sun. Aang will defeat the Fire Lord on that day." The reaction was immediate.

"There's no way I can do that! Day of the Black Sun is a little more then three months away! I can't master all four bending styles by then! I don't even have my firebending teacher!" Aang cried, shooting upright in a panic.

"Aang, calm down, you don't have to master firebending, remember that won't be working when you're fighting the Fire Lord anyway." Sokka comforted, the excitement bleeding into his voice lessening the comforting tone significantly.

"Does anyone see that there is just one other tiny problem with this plan?" Toph asked, spitting something into the grass to her left. I grimaced but then turned to ask,

"What is that?"

"That Sokka somehow thinks we're going to get a big enough army to take down the fire nation in three months."

"She has a point," Katara agreed, turning to her brother with serious eyes, "How are we going to get an army that big?"

"I was thinking," Sokka explained, leaning over the map

"Uh oh." Toph interjected, grinning. I sniggered at Sokka's annoyed expression.

"As I was saying. I was thinking that we could go to Ba Sing Se and talk to the earth king, get him to back us and provide us with an army. Then if we could we could..." Sokka trailed off before adding in a quieter tone, "try to contact dad, get him to help too." It was quiet for a moment, all of us picking up on the insecurity in Sokka's words, insecurity that effected each of us.

"What do you think Pala?" Katara finally asked, easing her voice into the silence like a foot into a hot bath.

"Are you asking for what I think or what the future holds?" I asked, trying to sound jovial but failing.

"Both would be nice." Toph replied, even she was effected by the dark mood that had fallen upon us. I shot a glare at her only to remember that she not only didn't care she wasn't even aware that I was glaring. No matter how funny it was to see my companions forget that Toph was blind it wasn't so funny when you were the one forgetting.

"Fine, in all honesty you guys are following the future as I know it, of course things have changed, my rescuing Appa probably-"

"What do you mean rescuing Appa?" I froze at the sound of Aang's sharp voice. He was staring at me, so was everyone else for that matter. I grinned nervously.

"In the traditional story those sandbenders were supposed to steal Appa and sell him to traders going to Ba Sing Se, that was a heavy influence on you heading to Ba Sing Se in the first place. Although the earth king bit was important as well." My mind wandered to what would happen in Ba Sing Se. Was there anyway I could help Aang? Stop him from getting hurt by Azula? And if I did what would change? The effects were not something I could control and nothing I could predict but I had also promised that I would protect my friends. I would think about it more later.

"WHAT!" Aang shouted, dragging my thoughts back to the real world.

"Aang, its okay, Appa's fine, we're fine, there was no cactus juice or friendly mushroom clouds." I quickly interjected as Katara tried to sooth the young airbender.

"I have a feeling that that is a really, really funny story." Toph smirked. I ignored the comment and coughed to catch the attention of Aang and Katara.

"Anyway, my point is so far we're on the right track. Is there anything else we need to talk about?" I added, turning to Sokka. He shook he head.

"Good, then maybe we should find some other stuff to do." With that I stood and walked away, effectively ending the awkward meeting.

While my friends dispersed I walked over to Appa's saddle and retrieved a scroll. Aang had managed to nab one from Wa Shi Tong's library while it was sinking for me and now my curiosity was getting the better of me. Unlike my old scroll which was red this one was had no fancy decoration. It was a plain, unimpressive scroll. That didn't mean the contents matched the outside. Excited I rolled it open and read the first few words in excitement. I frowned in confusion and rolled the scrolls all the way to the beginning to read the title. I took one look at it and laughed. It read 'Legends and Fairytales around the world' Aang had found me a children's book. I didn't mind though, learning about fairytales in this world would be interesting. Sitting down I began to read the first story, only to be interrupted.

"Hey Pala, I need a sparring partner." Sokka called while he carefully checked for nicks in his boomerang. I sighed but smiled and tucked the scroll away, picking up my fans and walking over to practice.

Half an hour later we were sweating and out of breath. Sokka had pushed both of us to our limits, using every trick he knew. I had returned in kind.

"Call it a tie?" I asked, straightening with a grimace, wiping sweat off my brow. Sokka nodded in agreement and hurried down to the water to cool off. I was about to follow him when Katara walked up to me, she looked upset which confused me. Had something happened that I wasn't aware of?

"Pala? Can I talk to you"

"Sure." I responded, walking over to the blue eyed girl.

"Privately." Katara insisted when I got close enough, taking me by the elbow and dragging me away. Once we were out of earshot she rounded on me.

"Don't think I'm jealous but I... I think it is unfair to show that you have a favourite among your friends." She sent me a look like she expected me to begin asking for forgiveness. As it was I had no idea what she was talking about.

"What?" I frowned, "You're going to have to be a little more clear." My befuddlement twisting my nose into a wrinkle.

"What I mean is that you are constantly complimenting Toph. I don't know if its on purpose or not but... I'm uncomfortable with the favouritism." I blinked at Katara in shock. She was partially right, I had been complimenting Toph quite a bit.

"Katara, I don't care for Toph more then any of you." Katara's doubt was clear so I explained.

"Yes Toph is cool and yes she is a great earthbender but the truth is, you are just as good in waterbending and you have plenty of merits. So does Sokka and Aang. The reason I compliment Toph is partially so she feels a part of this team. She came in so late that we already have tight bonds and she needs to know that we have space for her to become one of us as well. Also remember what she lived with? She needs to know that someone believes her to be incredible. The teasing way I complement her is meant to be just that, teasing. But it still helps her self-esteem. Each of you have something that makes you unique and incredible Katara, Toph just needs to be reminded." I smiled. Katara still looked bothered but there was a furrow in her brow suggesting that she was thinking hard.

"Don't compare yourself to Toph because you're not Toph. And just to let you know," I grinned, "you are one of the best waterbenders I have met, you have natural skill Katara. You probably would have been a prodigy if you had a master in the south." Katara's eyes had become watery in the last part and she smiled, wiping a damp eye.

"Thanks," She stated softly.

"No problem amazing, incredible, waterbending, friend of mine." I teased, causing her to laugh. Shaking her head Katara walked away. I shook my head and went back to Appa's saddle and my scroll. Internally berating myself. I had once again forgotten that Katara was only fourteen. She wouldn't understand everything I do and would need my support. It was hard being the oldest on the team although mentally Sokka wasn't that far away from me. I pulled out the scroll and contentedly began reading. The current story reminded me of Cinderella, except it was quite a bit different. The story was earth kingdom in origin and it revolved around a girl freeing a magical fish from her father's net. In return the fish promised her whenever she was in trouble it would grant her a wish but to use the wishes sparingly for he could only help her three times. Of course there was a party, the girl wanted to go but couldn't so she asked for beautiful dancing slippers and a dress. The fish provided both as the first wish which was what confused me. As I read on I was fascinated to find that the second wish was for a second outfit but the third was honest help. The king had sent the guards after the girl, believing that she was trying to seduce the prince. In reality she had just wanted to go to a party and be the most beautiful. She begged the fish to save her. He did, turning into a human man. I was shocked to read that it was the fish and the girl who lived happily ever after and not the prince. It was an intriguing story. Excited, I found myself reading further, excitement flowing through my veins.

* * *

_Zuko_

I stared off into the distance, my mind far away. All the way in the fire nation, my homeland my father sat as Fire Lord. A man who had hated his brother, taught his daughter how to lie and disfigured the face of his son. I reached up and gently touched the scar. I barely felt anything. It was a sign of dishonour and shame yet when I toughed it I no longer felt the familiar drive to hunt down the avatar and show my father that he had made a mistake in banishing me. Instead, I felt cold run through my body like it had in the North Pole. I was once again underwater, about to drown.

"What are you thinking about?" Uncle asked, taking a seat beside me.

"Everything." Nothing more had to be said.

"I see." We sat together in quiet contemplation before Uncle Iroh broke the silence.

"Perhaps I have been too much of an idealist or perhaps I have just refused to see what was in front of my eyes the entire time." I turned to my uncle in was he talking about? From the look in his eyes it almost seemed as though he was talking to himself, unaware that I was here beside him.

"My father disapproved of my wife, did you know that Zuko?"

"No." I replied. It felt necessary somehow, and at the same time I felt he hadn't heard me.

"He did. He thought that the daughter of such a minor noble was not appropriate for the future Fire Lady. I married her anyway and then we had Lu-Ten. When she passed away Lu-Ten was only a few years old. I continued to raise my son, giving everything I had to him. He reminded me of her." The grief in my uncle's voice was evident and I felt uncomfortable just sitting here, listening to him.

"Then Lu-Ten died and the world went mad. I didn't care anymore, I thought I had nothing to live for." He paused, "I thought Ozai would make a good Fire Lord and you would one day make an even better one. So I vanished, disappeared in search for the Spirit World so I could be reunited with my son." I felt a shiver run through me. There had been rumours that my uncle had gone to the spirit world, rumours that he had never confirmed or denied, at least in my presence. Despite the rumours no one knew what had happened. My uncle's voice was cracked with guilt and pain as he talked and I wanted nothing but to either run away or tell him that it was okay and that he didn't need to tell me this. But my curiosity was winning. I wanted to know what happened to my uncle in the spirit world, I wanted to know if he had found Lu-Ten.

"I found the natural portal almost a month later and entered..." my uncle trailed off before continuing in a softer voice. His voice sounded like stones rubbing together it was so rough. He wasn't far off from crying.

"I found many wonderful things and people. I even got to meet some major spirits but I never found Lu-Ten." He cleared his thought then continued.

"I can see now that I was blind to my brother's hate and cruelty. He only cared for power. He saw power in Azula and therefor he took her under his wing. He taught her how to hate." There was silence for a long time. I looked at my uncle.

"You couldn't have known." I finally admitted. Uncle Iroh just sighed and turned to look at me, eye to eye.

"I don't know if there is a way to save your father or sister Zuko. At one time I would have told you that everyone could be saved but I don't know anymore." He rubbed his hand over his face and for a moment I could see just how old my uncle was. I frowned then stood up and touched his shoulder.

"Its not all your fault. You can't blame yourself for my father's choices." I insisted. Uncle Iroh didn't deserve the lot he had drawn in life. He should have had a wife and son who lived. He should have been the next Fire Lord. He should have never had to deal with a ungrateful nephew who didn't realize how much his uncle had given up for him. One day my father would pay for what he had done to his family and the world.

* * *

_Azula_

I stared at my long fingernails in mild disinterest. The ends had been filed into acute points and I was pondering painting them red. Legs tossed over one side of my chair I found my thoughts wandering to that girl. The strange earth kingdom girl who had gotten in my way twice. The first was in New Ozai as it was now called. Omashu no longer. The second was in that rundown town on the edge of the desert. She had cried out, warning uncle... before I had even pointed at him. True is she had warned my fuddy-duddy uncle _as _my finger pointed at him there wouldn't have been enough time to escape and that was the crux of the matter. She had known my target just after I had chosen it. There was no way she could have known. I leaned backwards to glance at the girl in pink.

"What do you think Ty Lee?"

"What do I think about what Azula?" Ty Lee asked as she fixed a tear in her painfully pink outfit.

"The girl... what was her name again?"

"Wasn't it Pala or something water tribe?" Ty Lee giggled, "Pala, Pal-a, Paalllaaa" I twitched.

"She's earthkingdom." I responded, "She wouldn't have a watertribe name."

"Do I get a say?" Mai asked, her voice as flat as Ty Lee's was perky.

"Go ahead."

"I don't think she's earthkingdom. She looked like a colonial to me."

"Oh, and what makes you say that?"

"Her skin tone is a burn, remember the news from the North Pole that you told us about? I think she was burned and a waterbender healed her. Maybe even the waterbender that she travels with." I paused and thought about it for a moment. What Mai had said made sense. If she was a colonial or a low class citizen she might be aware of me as I did have quite a reputation. My lips twisted at that thought, mentally painting her skin tone lighter did give her the right look for a low class citizen or a colonial. Mai actually might be right.

"Well done Mai." I praised. Another thought occurred to me.

"I bet that's why she's using a watertribe name. She doesn't want to give away her origins." I would have snorted but that was unladylike. I knew it was expected of me to be a lady. A ridiculous notion but one I would have to put up with until I was Fire Lord.

"Umm, excuse me, Princess? A man has arrived with some... news for you." I looked up to see one of the servants I had decided to bring along from the royal procession. He was shaking so much I could see it. My mouth quirked down. Usually that meant bad news. I wasn't in the mood to hear bad news.

"Bring him in." I replied briskly. Another man walked in. He too was shaking so much it was visible and there was a notable stutter in his voice.

"M-M- My P-p-p-princess."

"y-y-y-yes?" I replied watching him. The man twitched.

"my- my name is-"

"I don't particularly care what your name is. What news do you bring? I suggest you spit it out quickly or I will become cross." I glanced at my nails then back at the man. I could see the lump in his throat bob up and down before he continued with less of a stutter this time.

"The girl... the non-bending one who follows the avatar? Th-there's rumour going about that sh-she's the avatar's- the avatar's." My patience was waning thin. I wanted that message now!

"She's what? The avatar's what?"

"The avatar's spirit guide."

* * *

_A/N So what did you think? Sorry it took so long to update, life is insane. Which brings me to another point. I am going to be writing a series of one shots and behind the scenes moments for this story called Ripples in the World. It's going to cover all sorts of things such as what's going on with minor characters, spirits, major character scenes that didn't make the cut for this story. It should be up in the next day or so. If you have suggestions I'd love to hear them as well._

_Once again._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	34. Sea Serpent

Chapter 34

Sea Serpent (Or lack of one thereof)

"_The girl... the non-bending one who follows the avatar? Th-there's rumour going about that sh-she's the avatar's- the avatar's." My patience was waning thin. I wanted that message now!_

"_She's what? The avatar's what?"_

"_The avatar's spirit guide."_

* * *

_Azula_

I stared at the man in shock. I quickly wiped the expression away. Showing emotions was weakness, and I was anything but weak.

"Sprit guide? And can you tell me what a spirit guide is?" My voice was soft, deadly so. I sat coiled on my chair like an adder.

"I-i-i-it'sss."

"Quickly!" I barked. I had no patience for this man's incompetence.

"If I may Azula?" Ty Lee asked, turning to look at me. I gazed back then waved my hand to let her know she could continue.

"A spirit guide is someone who is knowledgeable about spirits. They often help others reach enlightenment or contact the spirits of those who have passed on. They are rumoured to have actually walked among the spirits or even have been in the spirit world itself. We had one in the circus who was _so sweet_-"

"Ty Lee, the point."

"Right, sorry Azula. My point is that since the Avatar is the bridge between the spirit world and our own she must be teaching him about spirits." She waved her arms back and forth as if touching two sides of a scale.

"Except spirit guides are frauds, there's no proof that any of them are what they say they are." Mei replied before turning back to the cowering man.

"What else is there?"

"A-a-a-apparently she's a girl of all nations and a fierce warrior as well." My lip curled. I was well aware of the girl's capacity for fighting, she had sliced off one of Mei's nails. I had heard about it for days after.

"I am aware of her fighting abilities, but I am curious, Mei, can someone be of all four nations?" Mei shook her head, a small smirk crossing her face.

"I don't think it is possible Azula, most people don't marry out of their nations and if they do the child would have two nations, not four. Besides, the airnomads are extinct, well except the avatar."

"That's what I thought." I looked down at the man who stared up at me with wide brown eyes. I frowned, my eyes narrowing.

"I don't like being told false information. It only wastes my time. And you know I don't like my time being wasted."

* * *

_Maddi_

We spent several days in that nice little grotto. Part was to relax and part was to finalize all the plans. Sokka had figured we would fly over the bay and camp on the other side for the night. We were just packing up when a voice drifted over the water.

"Hello fellow refugees!" I jumped in shock, nearly dropping my sleeping bag. Three people were walking into the small place. A man about thirty, a woman around the same age and their teenage daughter, I guessed she was about sixteen.

"Hello!" Katara replied, face lighting up in excitement to talk to someone outside our small group. We grouped together. Over our time traveling I had discovered that when two groups of travellers or more met they would travel together for a while if going in the same direction. If not they would share a meal together and tell tales of current events. There was safety in numbers. Toph was the only one to distance herself as she didn't care for formalities. We quickly introduced each other. The couple were Than (the father) and Ying (the mother). The daughter was Lynn and she was fifteen which she stated quite proudly.

"So are you engaged?" She asked me excitedly, looking between Sokka and I for some sign of affection. Instead we both shot away from each other like magnets facing opposite poles.

"No!" I cried before explaining, "I'm... just a friend."

"Aren't you getting a little old to be without a husband?" I twitched and tried to convince myself that traumatizing these people would not help our cause.

"How old do you think I am?" I asked in exasperation. Sokka quickly interjected before the girl could find herself in deep water.

"So are you folks headed to Ba Sing Se?"

"Sure are," Than replied. His dark choppy hair swaying as he talked, "we're trying to get there before my wife has her baby." I frowned, Ying was heavily pregnant, travelling couldn't be either easy or comfortable. I sent a look at Sokka, he seemed to be having similar thoughts as me.

"We can get you there ourselves, our bison can fly."

"Thank you, but all we have to do is get to the ferries in Full Moon Bay. Its hidden from the fire nation and after the ride we would be escorted to Ba Sing Se in wagons." Sokka tilted his head then nodded.

"Alright but at least let us take you to Full Moon Bay, save you a few hours." Ying smiled.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much that means." I nodded and stroked Appa's side.

"Lie down boy, we have a woman with child coming on and-" I was cut off as Appa dropped to his stomach, pressing himself down to the earth. I blinked. For a moment, I wondered about just how much of the common tongue Appa understood.

* * *

Appa moved almost painfully slow as we flew to Full Moon Bay. None of us complained though, it was clear that Ying was a little nervous about riding a flying animal but Appa was incredibly patient.

We landed outside the opening to the secret ferry ride and walked in with Ying and her family, escorting them to make sure they got where they needed to be. I felt sadness pull my heart as I saw the amount of people who were refugees. Women, children, boys, men and babies. Even elderly folks, eyes ancient in pain. Part of me wanted to pull them all into my arms where they would never be hurt again but right now I had my own family and they came first.

"I can't believe how many people have been uprooted by this war." Katara murmured softly, clearly as bothered by this as I was.

"We all hope to have a better life there in Ba Sing Se." Than explained quietly. I nodded quietly in response.

While Than, Ying and Lynn got tickets to the ferry we waited on the sidelines. I was honestly surprised with how Sokka was acting so chivalrous.

"Tickets please." A voice snarled. I froze and spun. A girl in a green outfit and no Kyoshi warrior paint stood behind us. That didn't stop me from recognizing Suki. I froze and a tsunami of guilt crashed down on me. Last time I had seen Suki she had been practically unconscious with a concussion and a broken leg.

"Umm, is there a problem because we were just escorting some people-"

"Yeah, there is a problem." Suki snipped, interrupting Sokka, "I know your type, sarcastic but think you're hilarious, to noble for your own good and traveling with the avatar."

"Do I know you?" I wanted to scream at Sokka that it was Suki but I couldn't say a word besides a little choking sound. I felt so bad, especially when my eye traveled down to her leg and I noticed a metal brace around her knee to ankle.

"Maybe you'll remember this." She leaned in and whispered something in Sokka's ear. Sokka's face changed from confused to shocked to delighted in a matter of seconds.

"Suki!"

"Suki?" In seconds Suki was surrounded by my companions, all excited to see her. All except Toph and I. Toph because she didn't know Suki and I because of the increasing sense of guilt.

"You look so different without makeup and that uniform."

"Yeah I know, we all have to wear them as security guards. So what about you tough guy? Working out much?" Her eyes scanned Sokka appreciatively. With all the mock battles the two of us had done both together and against the others we had become quite fit.

"Pala's been wanting to practice so much we spend at least an hour on that everyday. That, and I do the occasional one-on-one workout session now and then." He smiled and flexed. I blinked, I hadn't realized just how muscular Sokka had become. It made me curious about how much muscle I had gained between arriving in this world and now. Suki turned and grinned at me.

"You're being awfully quiet Maddi, come on, the girl's would love to talk to you again. And I'm pretty sure Tan is just dying for a rematch." I managed a wane smile but my eyes kept flicking to the leg brace that Suki wore. Her smile faded and she glanced down at the brace.

"Well you can't escape every battle unscathed, that's not the way things work you know." She tried to make her voice light but there was a decidedly bitter tone to it.

"So how's the leg healing?" Katara asked, looking at it in worry.

"Fine, I'm still using it. This brace is just to support it, I'll have to wear it for a while longer-"

"If you want, I can speed the healing process," Katara offered, "I can even make sure it's healing properly too." Suki blinked in surprise.

"You can do that?" Katara nodded

"Yes, it's something that some waterbenders can do, I wasn't aware of it when we were at Kyoshi Island." Suki laughed and unbuckled the brace.

"Then feel free." Katara nodded and bent down, weaving the water from her pouch and to Suki's leg. The smallest groan of pain escaped Suki but that was all. To my wonder the glow surrounding Suki's leg vanished as it worked right below the skin, causing her leg to shine in bioluminescence. Then it was over and Katara stepped away. There were tears in Suki's eyes as she bent down and caressed her calf. For a moment I thought I heard her mutter something about it 'not feeling wrong anymore' but the moment passed and she turned. Throwing her arms around Katara, Suki embraced the waterbender.

"Thank you, so much."

"It was nothing." Katara quickly assured, looking decidedly uncomfortable and embarrassed.

"So what is going on?" Toph asked me softly while Suki chatted with our companions. I leaned over and explained as quickly as I could all about Kyoshi Island and Suki. Once Toph was caught up I turned back to the group. Apparently I wasn't going to be able to escape Suki because the moment my eyes landed on her she swept forwards and grabbed my hands.

"Come on, you have to spar with me. I want to see how much you have improved." I let Suki drag me out of ear shot before pulling away.

"I can't."

"Okay tell me what's wrong, Maddi, this isn't like you." Suki stated, eyebrows twisting down.

"What makes you think you know me? It's been months since we've seen each other. A lot has changed." I snarled. Suki took a step back in shock.

"What is this about really?" I didn't reply but my eyes betrayed me, flicking to Suki's now healed appendage.

"You're guilty! Why by the mother of faces are you guilty?"

"Because it was my fault you got hurt in the first place!" I barked. I felt like screaming at her to see what was in front of her but I didn't. Suki's look of utter confusion stopped me.

"Maddi, Katara just healed me, this leg feels better then it has in years! That wasn't my first time breaking it."

"That's not the point!" I cried in frustration. Suki grabbed my elbows.

"Maddi you're being ridiculous, you want to know who injured me? It was that guy who invaded my village, he threw me against a wall and I fell wrong. Part of it was my fault too."

"You blame yourself for falling wrong?" I repeated aghast, what was Suki talking about.

"Remember that I taught you how to fall? If you don't fall right you can get hurt worse. I fell wrong and slammed my leg against a piece of wood and my head hit the wall. It happens, true, the way he slammed into me from his rhino didn't give me a lot of time to correct my fall but that's going to happen."

"You're being unusually reasonable." I responded. Suki sighed and ran a hand through her short hair.

"Listen, we're in a war. If we blame every person who hurts us there will never be peace. Sure I'm upset, he invaded my home and hurt me but its okay. Kyoshi Island is unhurt. The statue and buildings have been repaired, and now even my leg has been healed. No one died. That's all I can ask for so you need to give up that guilt. Comon, I want to spar with you still."

A few minutes later we returned to my companions who had been chatting with the other Kyoshi warriors, out of breath. I had been properly whipped by Suki Defeated three times in a row. I had forgotten how good Suki was. There was a squeal and I was suddenly swamped by Kyoshi warriors who wanted to know how everything was going for me, why I had cut my hair, how I had got a tan and if I had met any cute boys. I managed to struggle away from the mass of teenaged girls but I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. It was nice having so many people thinking about me.

"Please you have to help us." I turned as did everyone else. It was Ying, tears were streaming down her face as she held her husbands hand. Her daughter looked equally distraught.

"Someone robbed us, we've lost everything." She gasped, legs nearly giving out from the strain. Two of the Kyoshi warriors, Tan and Jooda if I remembered correctly, rushed forward to help support Ying. We didn't want her to fall and hurt herself or the baby.

"I'll go talk to the manager."

"Don't bother." I retorted. My friends looked at me. I noticed a few of the girls send looks at each other.

"She's not going to listen, she's too strict." I explained, "But we can fly you guys across, I don't think that offer went away just because you wanted to take the ferry."

Sokka nodded in agreement and walked up to the small family.

"We're more then willing to let you come with us." He stated calmly.

"Then I'm going with you." We turned to see Suki stepping up, "I'll make sure you get to the other side without any problems."

"You don't have to do that." Katara quickly pointed out.

"I know, but I want to."

* * *

Riding Appa over the bay was a whole lot nicer then walking across the serpents pass. We were able to chat and relax. Sure it was a bit crowded with eight people but Appa could carry twice the number of people when it came to space. Sokka and Suki had taken the rear and were talking quietly to each other. Katara was chatting with Lynn, Aang was sitting on Appa's head chatting with Sokka and of course the couple were talking about baby names and feeling for a kick. Toph was leaning against the side of Appa's saddle and snoring away in a deep sleep. I was people watching. It was interesting seeing Suki and Sokka treated each other compared to the couple expecting. Both seemed to be very close and both seemed to truly care for each other. However it looked like Suki and Sokka had a stronger friendship to build their romance on. That was just my opinion of course

Because Appa was traveling slower then usual, partially from the added weight and partially because we had made the decision to go slower for the comfort of our passengers we ended up stopping on a large flat portion in the serpents pass. Sokka, Katara and I gave our sleeping bags to the small family traveling with us.

Dinner was a quiet affair and after eating we each split up to go our separate ways. Suki and Sokka wandered off to talk, the family went to sleep while Toph, Katara, Aang and I snuggled into Appa's fur to talk until sleep claimed us.

"So what is going to happen when we get to Ba Sing Se?" Katara asked me as she stared up at the stars glittering in the sky. I fixed my eyes on the north star, who Nut represented and replied softly so as not to disturb those who traveled with us.

"In all honesty, I'm not sure. I've lost track of time but I think we're ahead of schedule. Anyway, in Ba Sing Se things are going to get... complicated. There's a lot of politics and a conspiracy going on. That's going to make things really hard."

"What conspiracy?" Katara asked in confusion.

"Ba Sing Se is trying to deny that the war is happening."

"Say what?" Toph asked, suddenly alert and paying attention. Aang too looked shocked as he stared at me in wide eyed disbelief.

"Once you're inside Ba Sing Se the war 'doesn't exist' the king, well he's little more then a figurehead. That's just the beginning." There was quiet for a moment.

"We'll have to talk about this with Sokka later." Katara finally decided. I nodded sleepily. Curling into a ball I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

We were in the air, less then fifteen minutes away from the closest piece of solid ground besides the pass when Ying made a little gasping sound. I blinked and looked at her. Her brown eyes were wide, her dark hair swayed in the wind.

"The baby's coming." She gasped.

"Now!" Sokka squeaked.

"Soon," she gasped slightly, "very soon." I mentally cussed. Contractions. I had little knowledge about pregnancy and giving birth, it had never been something I had studied. I could spew more facts about superheroes or TV shows but when it came to facts about the workings of the bodies... I was not interested. Not that I wasn't interested in that way... I quickly shook my mind out of place it had been going. There were more important things then my experiences going on here.

"We need to land, soon." Katara stated, alarmed.

"Aang, we need to go faster." I called.

We landed five minutes later and Katara sprung into action.

"Toph I need you to make a shelter. Maddi I need you to find some clean cloth, Suki, make a fire. Lynn I need you to find some water and fill a pot with it." We all hurried to the task that Katara had given us. I rummaged through our bags hurriedly. We always carried a lot of spare cloth and bandages, partially for any possible wounds that traveling could cause and partially because there were two mature girls on this team. I grabbed a thick wad and rushed over to the large stone building that Toph had created. Katara was looking over it with a practiced eye.

"If you can I need all this dirt and dust packed as hard as possible. I don't want any of it causing problems. Flat too." Katara told Toph quickly. I was surprised at how easily Toph agreed. She knew that this was something that we had no time to argue about. Once those tasks were finished we created a thin mat of spare cloth and laid it where Ying was going to be laying. Katara had the assistance of the boys to move the pregnant woman to the bed then shooed them out.

"Toph, you can go to. You're not going to be able to help much with this." I swore that Toph looked very relieved as she booked it out of the hut as fast as she could.

"Okay Ying, I've got you set up. Now I need to know, are there any rituals or charms that are specific to your family or home that you want to use? I'm the only one here who has had training and I'm sorry to say but my experience has been solely among the water tribe."

"There was a charm" she gasped before continuing, "when our things were stolen." Katara's face paled she turned to Suki who shook her head.

"Warriors aren't allowed in the birthing hut." She explained. Katara nodded and turned back to Ying.

"Are you against using a water tribe charm? I know several that should be applicable here in the earth kingdom." Ying nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"Thank you." Katara turned to me, looking worried.

"Do any of you have ink and brush?"

"I think Aang might." I quickly replied, "And if not I can send him for them." Katara and Lynn both nodded.

"If you can grab Gran-grans medical kit while you're out there too, that would be good." Katara added. I nodded and hurried out.

Luckily Aang did have ink and a brush so he didn't need to go looking for a town. I returned with them. Ying had a thin sheen of sweat on her face and Katara was standing by her head.

"That's right, push, follow your instincts. You've done this before Ying, you know how." I placed the corked ink bottle and brush on a pile of cloth.

"How long will this last?" I asked Lynn softly as I took a seat beside her.

"It could be anywhere from a few hours to overnight." She replied quietly in return, "Father said that when I was born mother was in labour all night. Its better if its longer."

"How is it better to be longer, your mom would be exhausted."

"Yes but the baby is more likely to survive." I stared at Lynn in confusion, trying to wrap my mind around what she said. Long ago infant mortality rate was sky-high, children often didn't live to be more then a few years old.

"Did you have other siblings?" I asked Lynn cautiously, not wanting to offend her.

"Three, two brothers and a sister. None of them lived more then five summers. Gensu might have if the fire nation hadn't ruined the crop on his third summer." I felt bile rise in my throat. One day I might have a child here, no, one day I would have a child here. I felt myself begin to shake. How many children would I loose before one lived? I wanted to cry for all those babies lost, hundreds of children dying every day.

Eight hours later Ying was in the full throes of labour, screaming for the sky to ring with the sound. Suki and I were holding her hands, wincing in pain at the strength. Katara had actually corrected the way I had been holding Ying's hand. She had warned me that if Ying held my hand wrong she might break it. That had made me quite aware of how my hand was being held. I didn't want to loose motion in my hand just because I let a woman hold it wrong.

Sokka must have stuck his head in at the wrong time because he took one look and fainted dead away. Ying gave one last scream then gasped as another cry echoed hers. I watched as Katara handed the bloody, squalling baby to Lynn. She took out a knife and pressed it against the baby's belly. In one swift swipe the umbilical cord was cut. To my surprise instead of grabbing clothes to wash the blood off the child Katara and Lynn began chanting. It was a prayer for the good fortune and luck of the child, welcoming it into the world. It was through that chant that the child's gender was announced. Female. A baby girl.

Only after the chant was finished was the baby washed in warm water and then dried. Katara then had Lynn and I hold the child while she wrote charms on the baby's body. One on the stomach, one on the right foot, one over the heart and finally one on the forehead. Lastly Katara took out a ivory charm, carved from a tusk of some animal or other and placed it on top of the drying ink over the baby's heart. The child was then swaddled in clothes tightly and handed to the beaming but exhausted mother.

"What are you going to name her?" I asked as the men and Toph entered the shelter nervously. Only Than wasn't cautious, instead he rushed to his wife's side and kissed her forehead, gazing fondly at his baby girl. Despite what people said the baby had been very ugly, a strange alien looking creature. It was the love on the faces of Ying and Than that made her beautiful. Katara and Suki both gave me strange looks.

"Babies aren't named until they're a month old." Katara explained quickly. I nodded

"It's alright." Ying replied with a smile, "I plan on naming her Hope, in honour of the hope you and your companions have brought us." A small smile worked its way onto my face.

"Welcome to the world, Hope." I whispered softly, "I wish you the greatest luck."

* * *

_So what did you think? I put a lot of effort into the baby scene to fill in both culture and some thought about her own child from Maddi. And what about Azula at the beginning? A good continuation of the last chapter? Anyway let me know what you thought, _

_Princess Kassie Out._


	35. Ba Sing Se

Chapter 35

Ba Sing Se

**A/N: I ****_need_**** you ****_all_**** to read this author's note!**

_First off I want to apologize for the length of time it took for me to update. I have been super busy. I have been officially accepted into the program I wanted in my University and this means that there are going to be some changes for my stories. I will NOT abandon this story, however I need to put an emphasis on my AP courses for now. After my exams are over I am going to finish this story. I am going to be rattling off four or five chapters a week (hopefully) in June. After I finish Change the World I will be working on two stories. The first is the long awaited TMNT fic and the second will be a sequel to Change the World. It will begin almost exactly where Change the World left off and will end at either Maddi's marriage or the birth of her first child (which isn't as distant in time as it would seem as this world has no contraceptives). _

_So that's it, thank you for your patience and reading this Author's Note. _

_Princess Kassie Out,_

* * *

Zuko

After arriving at the port on the far side of Full Moon Bay we waited for the 'train' a series of wagons that would take us to the city. Uncle had been reminiscing on 'old times' when he had come to Ba Sing Se to conquer it. I didn't understand how he could treat it so lightly. Lu Ten had died because of that battle.

I had never seen my uncle cry, not when his wife died, not when he attended Lu Ten's burial, not even after my father burnt me. I closed my eyes and drifted into thought. When those burials had happened I believed my uncle to be strong and brave because a strong, brave person didn't cry. But after I had been scarred I had felt angry. He should have been devastated, upset but instead he walked into my room with a smile. I had hated him then but I was beginning to see another side to my uncle. My uncle didn't show his emotions when upset, he acted like everything was okay to ease the lives of those around him.

The three people who we had met on the ferry ride were talking a little ways away from us. Flicking my eyes open I studied them. Longshot, Smellerbee, and Jet. Unusual names, not that I had the right to judge. They were false names, just like Lee and Mushi were. A strangled cry came to my right. Spinning, I saw my uncle gag on a small cup of tea. I allowed myself to relax as he complained about the temperature. What was going to happen to us here? I knew Uncle Iroh would be happy but would I? Should I have taken Aang's offer to be his teacher? Would have have even been a good one? I didn't know. If I had taken it though I would have been closer to Maddi and she was the only one with answers to my questions.

"The train is here!" Someone shouted in the distance. I turned, calling to my uncle that we needed to go, barely noticing the steam rising from his wooden cup.

* * *

Maddi

My eyes scanned the ground between us and Ba Sing Se. There was no sign of the drill. A mix of both elation and horror coursed through me. I knew we weren't behind schedule and I doubted that Ba Sing Se had been lost which left only a few options. No one else was aware of what was wrong and they continued chatting easily amongst each other. Only Sokka was quiet, staring off into space. Probably thinking of Suki I realized. We had dropped her off on the other side of Full Moon Bay where she would take one of the ferries back to her sisters.

We were almost at the wall when Aang started steering Appa into a slowly descending spiral. We landed on the wall.

"Aang what's going-?"

"Who are you and what gives you the right to just walk into Ba Sing Se?" Aang jumped off Appa's head to come face to face with a short, bristly man who had more attitude and hubris then should have been possible for his size. The guy was barely taller then Aang for crying out loud.

"My name's Aang and I'm the avatar. These are my companions, Sokka and Katara from the southern water tribe, Maddison and Toph from the earth kingdom." He pointed at each of us as he said our names. I leapt off Appa at the sound of my name, grinning like a maniac. I did not like this man. My friends shook their heads and descended from Appa's tail, all except Toph who was quick to follow me.

"We're escorting some refugees who had their tickets stolen so if you could can you take care of them?" Aang asked as Than helped his wife and daughter off the bison. For a while I thought the small man was going to punch him. Instead he gestured over a couple of guards to take Ying, Than, Lynn, and Hope down off the wall. Once the 'civilians' we're off the wall the short man turned and introduced himself.

"My name is Sung, Captain of the Guards. Now, while I'm pleased to meet you, Avatar Aang, there are some rules and one of them is that civilians are not allowed on the wall. And I'm afraid the rule is the same for… animals." His lip twisted slightly at the mention of Appa whose length was as deep as the wall. Aang shrugged, not seeming bothered by the man's distaste for his bison.

"What's that?" I turned, Toph's voice sounded pitched and unusually girlish.

"What's what?" In reply Toph pointed out into the distance. I didn't know that she could feel something that far away. The strength of her 'sight' never ceased to surprise me. Following her finger I saw a small plume of dust coming toward us. I had no doubts about what it was. I had forgotten how fast Appa could fly, even when traveling slower for the comfort of guests. The fire nation wasn't late, we were early.

"General, I suggest you get some reinforcements," I stated, stepping forward to peer out over the plain before us, "There is about to be an attack on Ba Sing Se."

"What?" I turned to see Aang looking at the small dust cloud. Katara and Sokka right beside him.

"What are you talking about? No one has attempted to take Ba Sing Se since the fire nation five years ago. Why by Prithvi would anyone try now?" Sung was looking particularly cross at the idea. My friends ignored him, instead turning to me.

"Azula?" Katara asked. I nodded.

"In a metal machine similar to what they used to chase us down, remember? Well they've adapted it for this particular purpose." I could hear the venom in my own voice.

"How could we forget?" Clear sarcasm from Sokka. I found myself smiling anyway, Sokka really knew how to defuse a situation. General Sung was not happy that we were taking over his job in the least and he quickly stepped in.

"Well thank you for your time but you're not needed."

"Not needed?" Katara echoed, wide eyed at the general's stupidity.

"Of course not, the fire nation has never succeeded in an attack on the wall before and they aren't now."

"How about the dragon of the west? General Iroh? He got in." Toph pointed out, more then a little annoyed at the man's incompetence.

"Yes well, he was quickly expunged."

"No, he called a retreat because his son and heir had been killed and he realized that this campaign was pointless. If he had wanted to he would have marched all the way to the palace." I replied, still not looking at Sung. The poor general gaped at me, opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish several times before giving up and walking away.

"Is that true?" Aang asked me in shock. I felt myself twitch. My mind was whirling with ideas of how to face Azula and her drill.

"Yes, any ideas?"

"You don't know?"

"Why is everyone questioning me?!" Noticing Sokka open his mouth I snapped.

"That was rhetorical." There was silence for a while.

"Well I say we need a closer look." Toph finally decided.

"That sounds good." Sokka agreed I could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he thought about what needed to be done. He then split us into two groups, he and Toph would scout out the drill while Katara, Aang, and I would man the wall.

While Toph and Sokka were gone Aang and Katara turned to me.

"Can you give us any warning?" Katara asked. I bit my lip. A strange sense of foreboding crawled along my spine.

"That machine is a drill. It's going to burrow straight through the wall like a child's finger through sand." Katara paled considerably as she processed what I had just said.

A few moments later Toph and Sokka joined us again. As Sokka reported what he had seen as General Sung reappeared with several hundred guards and another group of men who I was surprised to recognize as the 'Terra Team' the name was pathetically corny but it was still enough to inspire Sokka to start thinking of team names for us. As luck would have it we didn't have to hear about it yet. The drill was almost halfway across the plain now and I realized that we would soon be infiltrating the metal behemoth. Another shiver of cold ran down my spine. Something was going to happen, the dread and stress was building inside of me and I found myself terrified.

"It's unstoppable," one of the guards whispered in horror as the Terra Team was forced back.

"From the outside." I replied. Obviously I hadn't been as quiet as I believed myself to be as Sokka spun, nearly giving himself whiplash.

"That's it! We'll take it down from the inside!"

* * *

Creeping underground was very uncomfortable. Unable to see anything I nearly tripped over Toph and stepped on Katara's foot. All of us were miserable, except Toph who was literally _in_ her element.

"That's it, it's right overtop now." Toph told us, bending the dirt 'roof' above us out of the way. The space between the ground and the bottom of the drill was tall enough that Katara, Aang and Toph didn't have to worry about their heads. Sokka and I did. Sokka had been growing quite a lot recently and I realized that if he kept up this pace he would be Zuko's height in a few months from now.

"There!" Sokka pointed, his neck craned at an awkward angle. Aang bounced up, climbing inside the gap in the metal bottom and leaning back down to help Katara, Sokka and myself into it.

"Toph? You coming?" I ask, sticking my head back down.

"No way am I going in that metal monster, I can't bend in there! I'll try to slow it down from out here."

"Okay, good luck."

We hurried deeper into the drill. It was unusually warm in here, several degrees above the temperature outside in fact. Sokka and Katara looked like they were ready to start sweating. I revelled in it. I loved warmer temperatures, both poles had been uncomfortable for me. I had gotten used to it but there is a big difference then acceptance and enjoyment.

"I need the plan to this machine, schematics or something, to find its weak points." Sokka quickly told us, frowning in thought for a moment. Making a decision he took his club and bashed it against a pipe beside us.

"What are you doing?" Aang cried in shock, "someone will hear!"

"That's the point," Sokka explained, "A big machine like this will need a lot of mechanics to keep it working, one of them is bound to come. They'll probably have plans to the entire machine with them."

True to Sokka's belief a mechanic arrived, a set of papers in his hand and began tinkering with the pipe. Once he fixed it, Katara froze him to the wall and Sokka darted out, stealing the scroll of schematics. He looks it over, assessing the drill before quickly filling us in on his plan.

"The drill is separated by these braces, if we can cut through them the entire thing will collapse." I bit my lip then spoke up.

"Sokka, the actual braces are too thick to cut through, it will take a long time. We should weaken a large section and then strike a blow right above." I could see Sokka's mind working. Finally he nodded.

"Like what Toph's been telling me." Aang cried, his eyes lighting up excitedly, "hit a series of points then go in for the final blow!"

I watched in awe as Aang and Katara worked in tandem to file through the support beams. One by one each beam was weakened. Then there was a rumble. We all looked up as it was announced that we had just made contact with the wall. I realized that we were still at least two hours ahead of schedule and grinned.

"Alright, Aang you need to go above and make the final blow." Sokka told the young airbender with a contagious grin. We walked away, back towards the point we had entered only to find the engineer gone. My eyes widened. He was probably telling Azula and cohorts about us right now.

"Aang, we got to-"

"DUCK!" I hit the ground as a familiar black needle-like dagger shot above us and hit the wall, quivering.

"Wow, look Azula, its the avatar. And friends." Ty Lee sent a wink at Sokka, who looked confused and waved in response. Katara wasn't going to let Sokka jus sit there, she grabbed his arm and took off, quickly followed by Aang and I. Swinging my bow off my back where it had been sitting for the last few hours I knocked an arrow and shot, missing as Ty Lee flipped out of the way. Aang shot a blast of air to counter a shot of fire from Azula.

"Where are you going?" Azula shouted, "Just give up there's nowhere you can go girl-of-all-nations." My heart froze. I felt like Katara had covered me in a thin layer of ice. Azula knew? How? What on earth was going on?

I narrowly escaped becoming crisp girl-of-all-nations when Aang grabbed my arm and dragged me away from a bolt of fire that Azula had shot at me. Internally my head hurt as I tried to figure out how Azula had heard of that. Her brother certainly wouldn't have told her and I wasn't aware that I had that major of a reputation. We came to a T intersection, one way leading to the outside, the other to a more... dirty way outside. We didn't even talk, instinctively breaking into two groups, Sokka and Katara going one way, Aang and I the other. The only conversation came from Katara who gave Aang her water pouch.

Aang grabbed my arm and began airbending, sending us both flying down the hall at impossible speeds for the average human. Coming to a dead end Aang slammed on the brakes, stopping himself but forcing me against a wall. I winced. There is going to be an ugly mark on my cheek from this I just know it. Aang shot up the ladder and I followed close behind. The last thing I wanted was to fall far enough behind that Azula might find me alone. Her voice echoed in my ears. If she knew about the girl-of-all-nations thing then did she know about the rest? Avatar and spirit guide? What would Aang's reaction be if he found out what I had been saying?

We stuck our heads out of the hatch and clamber up. While Aang began to form a target for his strike, cutting an X into the metal and dodging the rocks earthbenders from General Sung's wall were pouring down on the drill. They don't even dent the metal. I felt anger well up inside me. Those fools were causing more trouble for us then the drill. Of course Sung was a coward, my distaste for the man expanded.

I carefully notched an arrow, keeping an eye on both the hatch that we came from and the rocks. I didn't want to get hit in the head from a badly-aimed rock when I was supposed to be watching for Azula.

"What I'd give to be a metal bender." My ears perked at Aang's muttered wish. Metal bender? I didn't have time to ponder it as Azula sprang out of the hatch. I let my arrow fly and grin as it connected. Azula roared in rage, had flying to her cheek. Her gold eyes landed on me.

"You." She hissed. Aang looked up.

"Focus on your job!' I shouted at him as I loose another arrow at the fire nation princess. It missed by a mile. The air charged as Azula began her lightning strike. I shouted something and ducked. To my horror she didn't aim at me.

Electricity coursed through the air, missing Aang by less then an inch.

"You know I am curious." Azula drawled from where she stood, gold eyes glinting, "Who are you?"

"Like I'd tell you." I shout back, letting another arrow fly. This one missed as well. I notch another arrow when her strategy occurred to me. She was going to try to let me run out of arrows because unlike her, I had a limit on how many shots I could take.

"Well at least tell me your name, it is civil after all. My name is Azula, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai." Anger flared within me as I snapped.

"Sister of Zuko _crown prince_ of the fire nation, niece of Iroh, dragon of the west, daughter of Fire _Lady_ Ursa, and child prodigy. I know everything about you but you know nothing about me." I mocked. With every name I had said she had grown more angry. A thick bolt of blue fire flew at me. I hit the ground as it sailed right above but uncomfortably close.

"Tell me who you are!" She bellowed, charging me like a mad bull. I yelped and dodged out of the way. She expected that. I shrieked as her arm pushed me, I lost my balance and slipped on the curved metal. I screamed as I slipped over the side. There is a cry and a strong gust of air slowed my decent as a soft hand wrapped around my wrist. Aang dragged me back up onto the metal machine. While I laid on my back, panting, Aang engaged Azula.

Once my shaking body felt solid and not like it was made of Jell-O I stood and notched an arrow again. It's then the slurry exploded from every open part of the drill, knocking us all off our feet.

I lost Azula in the mess. While I looked around, trying to figure out where she would reappear from, Aang formed a rock spike from one of the boulders. I watched in awe as he grabbed it and propelled himself straight up the sheer wall using airbending. He was almost at the top when he dropped and tossed the spike below, using airbending to add to its speed along with his own weight. The spike thrust itself deep into the drill, causing a chain reaction of segments breaking apart and enough slurry exploding to drown an elephant Koi.

I wiped the mud off my face in disgust. My entire body was covered in the stuff and soaked all the way through. Not that Aang looked much better, except for the grin on his face.

* * *

Toph and Katara's joint efforts got the mud off us which I was very thankful for. I couldn't forget Azula though, she was curious about me and I had only made it worse by showing off and baiting her. What would happen now? I was clearly a target.

"I just want to say, good job out there Team Avatar." Sokka grinned. The rest of us shared a look.

"Sokka no matter how many times you say that its not going to catch on." Katara pointed out.

"How about... the BoomerAang squad, because it has Aang in it?"

"Keep dreaming." I teased.

"I kinda like that one," Aang admitted with a guilty smile. I rolled my eyes.

"The Aang Gang?"

"Sokka." Katara warned, despite the smile on her face.

"The fearsome foursome?"

"There's five of us." Toph pointed out. I sighed and turned.

"If you're going to give us a name how about the Gaang?" There was silence for a moment before Katara sniggered. Suddenly everyone was laughing.

"Seriously?" Toph gasped, clutching her sides.

"Actually that's what you guys are known as in my world." The laughing subsided.

"Really?" Aang asked.

"I kid you not." I responded with a grin.

"It isn't that bad." Katara admitted turning to the rest of us. I shrugged.

"Whatever you guys choose. It's not really serious though." Shaking their heads Aang, Katara, Toph and I headed down off the wall to our residence for the night leaving Sokka on the wall.

"Seriously! Why do you all take her side!" He shouted before running after us and joining in the teasing laughter.


	36. Secrets and Lies

Chapter 36

Secrets and Lies

The train was fascinating. Watching earth benders propel a few hundred pound train along with its passengers was amazing, especially since there were only two of them. My eyes flicked everywhere, taking in the full expanse of the fields around Ba Sing Se. The first layer was mainly fields and farms, enough to feed the entire city. The size of Ba Sing Se was terrifying, it was larger then some countries back in my old world. Despite how incredible and awe-inspiring it was I didn't feel comfortable. Like when I traveled to the city with my family, it was fun, interesting even but it was not somewhere you wanted to stay long. It wasn't safe, it wasn't comforting, it wasn't home. The only difference was that Ba Sing Se had a puppet for a king, a small army of earth benders who would follow any order without question, and brainwashed women who were working as tour guides. I was not going to be relaxing much while I was here.

Aang was flying Appa to a large barn that the 'government' had provided. That in itself made me sick to my stomach and I had whispered several warnings to Appa before he and Aang left. I felt silly doing it but Appa seemed to understand human speech better then some people at times. I just hoped that he truly did understand my warnings because I didn't trust the Dai Li. Appa hadn't been the only one I warned last night, Aang to had been told if any suspicious characters were around Appa's barn, especially if they were in green and black armour, to get Appa out of there and let him find himself his own home. I wasn't going to let one of my friends get hurt if I could avoid it, even Appa or Momo. Which brought me to a darker thought. End of season.

End of season two involved Aang getting killed by Azula, only surviving because of Katara's spirit water. I wanted to stop it but the truth was I didn't know how. How was I supposed to stop Azula from entering Ba Sing Se, pretend to be Suki, and then imprisoning her brother and Katara. I didn't see any way unless I tried to distract her from Aang. The problem was that when he was in the avatar state I could jump on one foot and cluck like a chicken and no one would notice me. I just wasn't important enough. Besides what was I going to do? Risk my life again, possibly even die to save someone? I had done it with Yue but everyone had been furious and worried. I would do it again but it would be impossible to jump in between Azula and Aang at that moment. Besides Aang's death actually had some advantages. I dragged my thoughts out of the dark path I had been on. Who was I to choose who would live and die, even temporarily? This was Aang, a good friend and a little brother to me. I would do everything I could to help him, just as much effort as I had with Yue and Appa. Both times it had worked out it would work out again, I knew it.

I didn't pay much attention to my friends conversation, my thoughts wandering in their own direction. I did notice the looks we were getting, though, especially Sokka and I. With our variety of weapons and my scars (although Sokka had a few of his own as well) we were to conspicuous. I shot a look at one man who had been pointing at us for a girl. They had probably been talking about us. Distaste curdled my stomach.

As soon as the train stopped we scrambled out. My eyes were instantly drawn to two figures standing in the crowd. The first was a earth kingdom woman in her early to mid twenties and the second was Aang who was looking particularly upset. As we approached and the station emptied we were able to hear what they were saying.

"I assure you avatar that the Dai Li were just there to make sure that your bison was safe. Unfortunately even Ba Sing Se has thieves that was the only reason."

"I saw that 'barn', Appa would never have been happy there anyways. Besides I don't care what you say those Dai Li people looked suspicious and I wasn't going to leave Appa in their care. I wouldn't leave a rock under their care." Joo Dee's ever present smile twitched but stayed fixed. Noticing us she turned.

"Hello, my name is Joo Dee. I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se. And you must be Sokka, Katara, Maddison, and Toph. Welcome to our wonderful city. Shall we get started?" I twitched. Except for my name Joo Dee's speech was identical to the one I knew from the show. I notice Aang too looked deeply disturbed by her words. Had she used the same speech on him just minutes before? Sokka didn't notice the strange looks but plowed on straight ahead.

"Yes, we have to see the earth king. We have urgent information regarding the fire nation."

"Great, let's begin our tour." Sokka's mouth dropped in outrage as Joo Dee completely ignored him, "And then I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it." Sokka stared as she walked away and down the steps of the station. After a moment he fell into line beside me.

"Please tell me that she is deaf and didn't hear me." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I wish I could tell you that."

Down the marble steps a carriage awaited. It was a little squished trying to fit six people into the carriage. Joo Dee sat with her back to the driver. Aang and I both insisted on sitting across from her, our mistrust for the woman palatable. Toph sat between us, leaving Sokka and Katara to work out their seating beside Joo Dee. Eventually Joo Dee got the window seat while an unhappy Sokka ended up sitting beside her. The carriage rattled into motion but conversation did not go with it. Eventually Joo Dee began to speak, pointing out the names of the walls we passed and of course the name of the train station we had come from. I ignored her until we rattled into the lower ring.

"And this is the lower ring." Katara frowned, noticing more walls still ahead.

"So what's this wall for."

"Separating the 'poor and quaint' from dirtying the 'better parts' of the city" I practically snarled in reply, if I had been born here in Ba Sing Se, my family would have been forced to live here among the 'untouchables'. It disgusted me. People were people no matter what the social standing. Joo Dee twitched and hurriedly asked the carriage driver to continue.

Joo Dee continued her tour but she was jumpy. My snarky comments and Sokka's insistence to talk to the earth king coupled with her argument over the Dai Li with Aang was slowly breaking her. I would have felt more pity for the woman if her family had been help hostage or something but as it was she could not control what she said or how she acted so I could not spare my pity. My friends were my top priority at all times.

We came to a stop outside a beautiful house decorated in the usual earth kingdom colours. I noticed with interest there was a good sized backyard with what looked to be a flying bison tail peeking out from behind the house.

"Here we are." Joo Dee stated. Her voice projected. I sniggered when the tail vanished behind the house, "Your new home."

A dark-haired messenger passed Joo Dee a scroll before sprinting off again.

"More good news, your request for an audience with the Earth King is being processed, and should be put through in about a month. Much more quickly than usual." I watched the reaction of my companions with interest. Toph looked bored and she was probably the only one in the group that expected such a long wait. Katara and Aang had similar expressions of shock while Sokka was spluttering like a fish out of water.

"A month!" Sokka finally blurted, eyes bulging.

"Six to eight weeks, actually." Joo Dee replied with that infuriating smile.

* * *

The first day was pretty uneventful after that, we unloaded our stuff into the upstairs of the house which had a separate room for each of us with one left over. I was really surprised that a house this small could not only have a six bedrooms but two bathrooms as well. Although under all technicality it was a closet that acted like a port-a-potty (which all bathrooms in houses were like apparently after a conversation with Katara) and the other was a washroom with a mirror, sink and metal bathtub that was kept heated by a fireplace so the water wouldn't go cold. I planned to make use of this miracle as soon as evening came. While the boys and Toph checked out the rest of the house and backyard I found myself with Katara checking out the kitchen. There was an oven, made very differently then I was used to, but Katara seemed quite pleased with it. There were plenty of cupboards full of dishes and much to the delight of Katara and I, raw materials to cook with. Flower, spices, a jar of white powder which Katara told me was used for rising bakery products (baking soda or powder I assumed), sugar, and many other dry materials.

"Come on Pala, I want to check out the ice room." I lifted my head out of a small pot of raw vanilla bean where I had been savouring the aroma to blink at my younger companion.

"Ice room?"

The ice room in question was a underground pantry which, as the name suggested, was full of ice blocks but the temperature was only a little colder then the average freezer, either that or despite my reluctance I had adjusted to pole temperatures. Inside the room which was twice the size of my bedroom there was a large roll of cheese covered in wax to protect it, several glass bottles of a white liquid which I assumed to be milk beside which there was a rack of eggs. The lettuce and greens were at the front, right by the stairs where it was the warmest while the meats were hidden deep in the back between three walls of ice. Katara moved around, inspecting the ice to check for any signs of melting. While she focused on that inspiration struck. Lighting up like the fourth of july I grabbed a bottle of milk, a handful of eggs, and headed upstairs.

Once I was in the kitchen I gathered all the supplies I needed. The baking soda, flower, sugar... I paused for a moment before grabbing the salt as well. I wondered briefly if there was a milk churn somewhere in here or if I had completely missed the butter. A few seconds later Katara walked in, looking at me in confusion while I ran around mad looking for a big spoon.

"What are you doing?" She asked, noticing the ridiculous amount of flower I had managed to get myself covered in.

"Making a recipe from my world!" I replied in excitement, "but I'm missing butter and buttermilk, is there any down there?" Katara smiled.

"I don't know, I'll go look again. We don't get a lot of butter at the pole, it goes to fast." I nodded and went back to figuring out measurements without the use of the tools I was used to. A few moments Katara returned with a bowl of a soft cream coloured butter and a bottle of thick liquid of a similar colour. I grinned, thanked her then asked if she could take care of the stove for me. As I stirred the batter I smiled to myself. Back at home I had used an electric mixer but here I could stir the batter without my arm getting tired.

An hour and a stack of misshapen pancakes later we called the others for lunch. The pancakes had been covered with berries and a thick cold cream. Sokka dug into his stack with gusto, while Aang politely compared it to a desert he had tried long ago. Katara was equally polite but Toph, ever the blunt one choose to speak her mind.

"Don't get me wrong, it's nice enough, just… not my idea of good food."

"That's fine, it was something to try, you didn't have to like it." I replied with a shrug.

* * *

After lunch we sat at the table talking. Because Appa was okay we didn't have to go looking for him but we weren't willing to just sit around.

"Well, if we have to wait that long to get the earth king's approval we might as well see if we have support from the general populace." I finally stated. Sokka nodded thoughtfully.

"She's got a point,"

"So your suggesting we walk up to a few random strangers and ask them what their opinion on the war is and if they'll do anything? That's a little… dangerous don't you think?" Katara frowned deeply. She was clearly troubled.

"I don't know, we don't want to cause to much trouble do we?" I bit my lip in thought. The only problem would be if the Dai Li got involved. My mind once again strayed towards the events that were fast approaching I was scared. I wanted to warn my friends and at the same time I didn't with a jolt I realized that I wanted control over who would know and who wouldn't. I felt disgust well up inside me. What gave me the right to control their lives? I wanted to believe it was because I wanted to protect them and fear of everything going out of control but was that the problem?

"Pala? Is everything okay?" I jerked at Katara's voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I lied. I could see Katara's doubt but she didn't question and instead headed out with Aang and Toph. Sokka on the other hand wasn't going to let me get away that easily.

"So what's really going on?" I sighed and pinched the bridge on my nose.

"There's something coming up and I… I don't know how to face it."

"So tell us, we can help." I wanted to scream at him that it wasn't that easy. Instead I took a breath.

"I… I'm worried that if I tell to many people everything will get out of control. This in particular is so touchy but if I don't change things I won't be able to forgive myself but if I do I don't know what would happen because some of the things that happen are fairly important. I mean sure, the day of black sun was completely botched..." I trailed off noticing Sokka look.

"Sorry, I was just working myself up there. My point is I don't know what to do." I admitted softly.

"If you don't want to tell the others then maybe just tell me." He replied. I looked at Sokka for a moment before nodding. I trusted him, not that I didn't trust the others I just knew that he wouldn't try to take things into his own hands without talking to me.

"Things are about to go to hell in a hand basket. Near the end Azula comes here, captures Katara and Zuko, locks them away and then when Aang goes to rescue them... he's killed." Sokka jerked backwards like I had shot him, eyes wide in horror.

"It's not all that bad!" I blurted quickly, "Katara uses the special water from the spirit oasis to bring him back."

"How does anything good come of that?" Sokka hissed. I realized that he was more upset then he had let on which was saying something. I should have been more upset too, this was Aang. Somehow in my mind though all my friends weren't linked to the characters I knew, it was almost like the series I knew was like the Ember Island Players version of our lives. It wasn't true, there was so much different I couldn't really connect them as one and the same anymore. Thinking deeply I realized that nothing good came from Aang's 'death', sure the world thought he was dead but the fire nation hadn't been taken down on the day of black sun anyway, no one had been looking for the avatar sure, but Azula has already begun to suspect that he wasn't really dead. But how could I stop it? I didn't know and that itself was bothering me.

"You're right. I... I don't know how to stop it." Sokka sighed.

"How long?" I blinked.

"How long until this event is supposed to happen?" He reiterated patiently.

"Three weeks to a month." I responded after a moment, brow creased in thought. He nodded, eyes serious.

"Let's take it one step at a time then."

* * *

Of all the people I had expected to see, Joo Dee was not one of them.

"What's she doing here?" I hissed as I came up alongside Katara who was frowning as Joo Dee conversed with Aang.

"I don't know, she won't tell us why, she was just waiting outside the house when we came out." Katara didn't look any happier then I felt. A very pleasing image of my hands wrapping around Joo Dee's neck flashed before my eyes but I repressed it quickly.

"I must insist that I come along, you are our guests, it would be rude to leave you on your own." Joo Dee told Aang, her face still stuck in that painfully fake smile. Gritting my teeth I began to storm down the road, my goal past Aang and the annoying woman when she stepped into my path.

"Please, allow me to accompany you." That was it.

"No, you are not allowed to accompany us. Not only is it perfectly acceptable for us to travel alone, as we have been doing so for several months now but you gave us that house as our home. Therefore we are not guests." My frustration and stress had been building up inside me since we had first seen the wall and now that I had loosed the cork with Sokka the rest was in perfect position for explosion.

"And as we are not guests you do not need to escort us. In fact how about you just toddle home to the Dai Li, report us and get it done and over with." Joo Dee staggered back as if struck and I realized that once again my stress had gotten the better of me and I had blurted out more then I should have. The mask was broken and Joo Dee piratically bolted into the carriage and took off. There was silence for a moment.

"Do you want to explain what just happened?"

"I thought it was sweet." Toph grinned, unaware of Katara's annoyed expression.

"I'd really rather not." Aang and Sokka shared a look and shrugged in tandem. I glared at them, only to be ignored and set off down the street. My thoughts whirling. Perhaps there was a way I could stop that whole encounter from happening but for it to work I would need to warn Zuko and Iroh. I knew they were in the city, in the lower ring, the question was where. Of course if I said I was looking for the best Tea maker in Ba Sing Se within a few days I should be directed to the right place. If there was one thing I could count on it was that Iroh wasn't going to hold back on his tea masterpieces.

We wandered through Ba Sing Se's middle, higher and a little of the lower class districts. Without Joo Dee there people were more willing to talk, but still extremely nervous. Interestingly enough we got the most response from those in the lower rings, those in the higher rings had the most to loose in the end and some were honestly unaware of that war. Those in the middle class were a lot more aware of the war but thought we were blowing things way out of proportion.

By the end of the day we were exhausted and more then ready to take a break. There had been little interest in any sort of war effort, even those in the lower class who had both understood and occasionally sympathized seemed unwilling to leave. It was more then a little off putting. We returned to our house, unaware of that there was about to be a change that none of us could have expected.

* * *

A shaken Joo Dee stared up, wide eyed at the men surrounding her.

"I don't know how, she knew but she did. She knew about you and my purpose... please don't be angry it wasn't my fault!" The men stayed quiet, still, unresponsive, waiting for one in their midst to speak.

"No, it was not your fault Joo Dee, although I do have some good news. Joo Dee, the earth king has invited you to Lake Laogai." Joo Dee's panic faded away as her iris' opened wide making her eyes look entirely black.

"I am honoured to accept his invitation."

* * *

_A/N: Hi, thank you for having so much patience with me. I have managed to get this chapter posted, somehow. Anyway let me know what you think, and thank you every single one of you who have reviewed, I appreciate it more then I can say. I will try to reply to you each personally although the time for that is very scarce. Anyway, I hope this chapter is up to your expectation._  
_Princess Kassie Out._


	37. Choppy Waters

Chapter 37

Choppy Waters

_Zuko_

I watched in silence as Jet was dragged away by the Dai Li. I would have felt sorry for the guy if he hadn't been a threat to my uncle and I. He wasn't a bad person but I could't afford giving him my pity.

Uncle placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave me a small nod when I looked at him. The crowd slowly dispersed either back to their business or back into the tea shop. One of the soldiers who had stood up for me against the Dai Li stepped forward and reached to clasp my hand.

"You're a damn good fighter, son, we need someone like you in the army." My mouth became dry with the praise. They wanted me in the army, the avatar wanted me to be his firebending teacher, I had never had so many people want me. In hindsight that was a little sad, I realized.

I returned to the tea shop and quietly went back to work, cleaning up the splintered wood and spilled tea. Avoiding any more attention. Despite my sincere wish to go unnoticed everyone I passed congratulated me. A few even tipped more then usual.

"Did you hear the avatar was in Ba Sing Se?" After three years of searching and all my mixed feelings regarding that subject if Aang's title was ever mentioned I was going to hear. I slowly moved to mop closer to the table discussing. There were two men, both earth kingdom, judging from the way they dressed and looked they were better suited for the middle ring.

"Someone mentioned it earlier, I wasn't really paying attention. What happened?" The man's companioned grinned and leaned in closer.

"Apparently he is looking for people who wish to support his cause and fight the firenation."

"You're kidding." The other man gaped.

"I'm just getting started. Apparently he has quite a group with him. Water tribe royalty, a nobel woman as his earthbending master and... a girl of all four nations." I dropped the mop. Maddi was here and now she was introducing herself as the girl of all four nations?

"Where did you hear this?"

"It's been going around for some time, someone mentioned something about desert traders, that was the original source I think." The second man shook his head as I tried to return to mopping again, only to discover my hands were shaking.

"So these people are all here, in Ba Sing Se?"

"That's what I heard."

"You're insane." The two men laughed, dropped several coins on the table and left. I just stared at the table for a moment, completely lost within my own mind.

* * *

_Katara_

I had become leery of anyone waiting outside my door since the event with Joo Dee yesterday. So when I opened the door to find myself face to face with a man I instinctively reacted, throwing him down with a ice-hard bolt of water before I looked to see who it was. It was an earth kingdom man in his forties. He had green eyes two thin strips of moustache and an equally thin strip of black hair hanging from his chin. His outfit was clearly that of nobility, green and black with gold detailing. He looked completely shocked before he laughed.

"Please forgive me, I did not mean to startle you, I was looking for the girl named Maddison."

"What do you want with her." I asked, wary. Pala was my friend, my first friend outside the water tribe and like a big sister to me at times. Other times she made me crazy with her unwillingness to tell us what was going on. I had a feeling that if anyone was looking for her it was probably because she was in trouble. Papa had an annoying tendency to get into trouble, much like Sokka.

"Just to talk. My name is Long Feng and I am the Earth King's cultural minister." I paused, unsure. This man was powerful. I didn't want to offend him. At the same time my worry for Pala grew. What had she done to cause this? Still, I couldn't exactly argue, but I could make sure that she would be safe.

"Just give me a moment." I turned briskly and walked back in, shopping forgotten. Snapping the door closed I sighed then headed straight to Pala's room. Outside I waited a moment then knocked. I knew that Pala would respond if she was in there. I felt some small part of me hoping that she wasn't. That way I could tell this Long Feng fellow to leave and try again later. I bit my lip. Actually I didn't want him coming back at all. Something instinctual was telling me that something was very wrong.

"Hey." I jerked, blinking and looked up to see Pala looking at me. Despite the fact that I had been growing a lot recently I was still shorter then her. Not that I had a lot of chances of being taller. Both my mother and gran-gran were shorter then Pala.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. I could tell that she noticed I was uncomfortable.

"There was someone asking for you." Pala's face turned into a frown, brow forced down. It caused her already dark eyes to look almost black.

"Got it, wait here." Cold fury knotted in my stomach. I was not going to just stand by. I waited for her to head down the hall before rushing to Aang's room. Sokka had announced earlier that he was going to train for a few hours and he wasn't back yet. Aang and Toph though were still at home.

"Oh, hey Katar-" Aang was cut off when I grabbed him by the arm and began to drag him down the hallway.

"Whoa, slow down there. What's with all the ruckus?" Toph stepped out from behind her door and yawned extravagantly.

"Pals has a visitor, Ba Sing Se's cultural minister. I don't trust him something is… off about that man." I explained. Toph grinned like a feral cat and cracked her knuckles.

"Cool, this place was getting really boring."

* * *

_Maddi_

I took a deep breath. Long Feng was standing on the other side of the door and the thought terrified me. Biting my lip I hoped that I could trick him, if I was very, very lucky I might be able to pull the wool over his eyes.

I opened the door and plastered on a smile that I hoped looked genuine and not like I was trying to copy Joo Dee.

"Minister, what a surprise." I stated, "please do come in." Inside I was shaking in my shoes but I needed to portray a visage of calmness. I silently begged any spirits listening for the best acting skills they could lend, if only for a short time.

"Thank you, you're Maddison I presume?" Long Feng asked, cold green eyes fixed on my like I was roadkill and him a vulture.

"Thank you." This was bad, very, very bad. Why was Long Feng here in the first place? What had I done to cause this unusual ripple?

"Would you like some tea minister?" I asked, letting him take a seat at the table.

"No thank you, we have much to discuss you and I." I was sure that shiver ran through my whole body. Had he seen it? My eyes raked him over, he was wearing his usual garb, green with a black coat over top and bright gold detailing. Clear signs of his wealth and power. Had he met Azula yet? To my shame I realized I didn't remember when he and Azula had met. My memory was faded until the tales of Ba Sing Se and Lake Laogai but after that it became foggy again.

"About what minister?" I winced as my voice cracked. The predatory look in Long Feng's eyes intensified. Damn that man to the darkest pits of hell, I mentally hissed.

"Maybe I should be asking you that, Palartok, Maddison, Girl of all four nations and spirit guide. Quite a hefty tittle, even for a girl of your age." I was petrified, unable to move, carved out of glass. He knew. How did he know? I hadn't used that entire title to anyone but… my thought trailed off, landing on the sand benders. Apparently my dramatic rescue of Appa had created an effect far beyond anything that I could have imagined. But there was something I could use to one up him. Using my anger at him as fuel I laughed. Long Feng's face contorted as I laughed at him.

"Well, I must admit I didn't realize that my lies would reach such influential places." I chuckled, "I made up the most impressive name for myself that I could manage and used it to scare away those savages who were trying to steal our bison." For a split second I thought I had won, that I had checkmated him in this verbal duel. I was wrong.

"So I am assuming that the story of La herself raising you from the dead is also false." Where was he getting this information? I felt a shiver run through my spine. I was in major trouble if the rumours had reached the North Pole. Who else had heard about me? I realized with a sinking feeling that the ripples had become choppy water when I wasn't looking. Was there anyway to fix this? I looked at Long Feng and realized with a sinking heart that I couldn't repair damage already done. I couldn't time travel, dimension travel had been far to much for me as it was.

"What else do you know?"

"Just that there is a very large bounty from the fire nation with your name on it, both names actually." His eyes were raking over me but I stood erect and refused to move or shy away.

"Is that why you are here? If so I must say I'm underwhelmed." The subtitle barb was there and I could tell that he noticed it but didn't care.

"No, I'm more curious how you knew Joo Dee's purpose. Who was your mother and where were you born?" I stared at him in complete confusion. That question had been quite a bit left field.

"What?"

"Well you are to young to be a Joo Dee who left or even one who somehow managed to escape which leaves your mother." My mouth dropped open in shock. What was he doing?

"You're telling me this why?" I asked, choked. Long Feng smirked.

"Because if I discover that what I have just told you is passed around there will be… dire consequences. If you won't answer me though I'll be on my way." He stood and walked to the door before turning back for a tiny moment.

"I can guarantee that I can turn your life into a living hell. Anyone you associate with will find themselves in just as much trouble and as you already know, I have eyes everywhere."

The door shut. I sunk to the floor, quietly shellshocked. How was I supposed to do anything with the Dai Li breathing down my neck? How was I supposed to take steps to change what was going to happen? How was I supposed to get in contact with Zuko and Iroh?

The door to the stairs swing open, causing me to shoot to my feet in alarm. Katara, Aang and Toph all stood there. We were quiet for a long moment before I coughed and spoke.

"How long were you there?"

"Since you opened the door." Toph replied, nonchalant. Katara sent the girl a betrayed look but the young earth benders remained oblivious.

"We can't just let him threaten you like that." Katara decided. I choked a laugh.

"You can't stop him. Not yet at least. He's the most powerful man in this city with a army that will do whatever he says."

"I thought that was the earth king?" Aang whispered.

"The king takes care of the culture of Ba Sing Se while his 'cultural minister' does everything else." Toph snorted at the irony from my sentence while Katara looked scandalized. Aang though was looking meditative and thoughtful.

"But the king still has the support of the people and his other ministers… Ba Sing Se has a council too right? I can't see that changing in a hundred years." I scrunched my nose in confusion.

"I don't know, wait, I thought you never came here before."

"I didn't but one of the other monks wanted me to learn about political powers around the world," he grimaced, "I had to do a whole unit on Ba Sing Se." I nodded, accepting the answer.

I sighed and turned away towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Katara interjected.

"Outside,"

"Excuse me?" I turned back to Katara, incredulous.

"What?" I asked.

"You're not going anywhere without one of us." I gaped at Katara in horror.

"You're giving me a babysitter? I'm older then all of you, Sokka included."

"And you were just threatened by the most powerful man in Ba Sing Se to use your own words." Katara reiterated. I glared but quickly gave it up.

"Fine, Toph, you coming?"

"Why not? There's nothing else to do here anyway."

* * *

_Zuko_

It was late afternoon, the lunch crowd had left for the most part. Three patrons were left and I was washing the unoccupied tables when a familiar voice asked.

"Lee? Is that you?" I spun gasping. Standing in the entrance to the small tea shop was Maddi. She had changed in the months I hadn't seen her. The burn tan had paled, leaving small brown speckles across her face and her hair had lengthened, her bangs were just at the same level as her eyebrows and her braid fell down to the small of her back. To my shock she smiled brightly then rushed forward and hugged me. I stiffened at the sudden contact. She ignored it and whispered in my ear.

"Play along, and call me Tara." She pecked me on the cheek and pulled away. I was glad that she had moved on to my uncle because my face felt uncomfortably hot.

"Mushi! It's been a long time!" She exclaimed as she hugged him too. She must have whispered something in his ear too because Uncle Iroh laughed and hugged her back.

"Tara! I'm so glad to see you again," 'he grinned sending me a look, "I'm sure Lee is very pleased to see you as well." Tara' smiled brightly.

"Mushi, Lee, you remember my little sister, Toph, don't you?" Maddi turned to gesture at a small girl standing behind her. I looked at Maddison amazed, there was no way she would pass for Toph's sister. Toph was pale and short with thick black hair while Maddi was tall, tanned with thin brown hair. The two girls couldn't be more different if they tried.

"Of course I do." My uncle laughed but his eyes were sharp. Maddi turned to the shop's manager and smiled innocently.

"Please sir, can you spare my cousin and uncle for a little while?" I find myself glad that our manager wasn't someone who paid much attention to details. He nodded and waved us off to the back room.

Once in the storage room Maddi shut the door and then the window's shutters. Only faint trickling light illuminated the dark shelves.

"To what do we owe this visit?" Uncle asked, "not that I mind but I am curious why you sought us o here and how you knew our aliases." I blinked in shock, I hadn't noticed that Maddi had known what names we were using here. Lee could be easily explained, it sometimes seemed like half of the earth kingdom and fire nation used the name Lee but Mushi had been inspired by my uncle swelling after he had turned a poisonous plant into a tea. He was lucky to be alive.

"You're in danger."

"We're firenation royalty in the capital of the earth kingdom, of course we're in danger."

"In about a week you won't be the only firenation royalty in Ba Sing Se." Maddi retorted sharply. My mind jumped to the only conclusion that made sense.

"Azula? What is she doing here?"

"What she's always doing, trying to take over the world in the name of her father." She retorted. She began fiddling with a black cord that hung around her neck. A necklace that dipped below her neckline so I couldn't see what it looked like.

"How do you know this?" My uncle asked softly. He wasn't suspicious or upset, just curious and a little worried. Maddi though, acted as if he had just accused her of something. Her eyes went wide and her body stiffened.

"I can't tell you just yet, just be careful. Especially about anything that involves the palace. If you get an invitation to the palace get the heck out of there and leave Ba Sing Se."

"Seriously? You're not going to tell them?" Toph asked, she continued to look straight ahead and I realized with a jolt that she was blind.

"Toph, not now."

"If you had your way I don't even think Sokka would know. You kept it a secret for over two months."

"Toph, not now." Maddi's words were clipped short, her face was tense but her hands were shaking.

"What-"

"Toph! Now is not the time! I will tell them later but right now I don't even feel safe to speak about it while in Ba Sing Se." We were silent for a while before Maddi sighed.

"You're not the only ones in danger. The five of us are as well and there was recently a not to subtile threat directed towards me."

"Why have you been introducing yourself as girl of all nations? Why do you call yourself that?" I blurted. Maddi blinked and looked up at me in surprise. Her mouth quirked into a small smile.

"Because I am from 'all nations' in a way, I was adopted into the water tribe, Aang has practically done the same, I look earthkingdom and I support the true Fire Lord." I felt heat crawling up my face again, my mind flashing back to when she had said something similar months ago. My uncle looked surprised then his gaze became very piercing.

"If someone is from all four they might as well be from none." Maddi stiffened again while Toph laughed outright.

"Are you going to say it or am I?"

"Toph!" Maddi cried, scandalized but Toph only laughed. Maddi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well are you?" Maddi sighed.

"You're spot on the mark Iroh, I may appear to be from all four nations, but I'm from none." She closed her mouth then and sent a pointed look at Toph.

"And that's all I'm going to say on that matter. I just want you two to be careful." She paused, "And do not trust either the Dai Li, any woman who calls herself Joo Dee or the king's 'cultural minister' those people are for our group to deal with."

"If you life is in danger shouldn't you be leaving?" I asked. Maddi shook her head.

"I can't leave while my friends are here, there are things that need to be done too, things that I have... insight into." She turned to leave but paused and turned back.

"The offer is still up for both of you, we would love to have you join us. We will never turn down anything you can offer us." She turned away and walking step in step with Toph, left us alone. Once again leaving me to think about what she had said. Why did she have this effect on me? Why was it that every time I met her no matter what she said something always remained stuck in my head.

"_Long live Fire Lord Zuko."_

"_I support the true Fire Lord."_

"_I may appear to be from all four nations, but I'm from none." _

Who was she really? I was beginning to believe only the spirits knew.

* * *

_Maddi_

I slept fitfully, nightlong nightmares plagued me. They ranged anywhere from the usual death of that man at the North Pole, to my family to seeing Azula killing Aang. It seemed like it was all I could do manage. Nightmare after nightmare. I had done everything I could but now it was all up to the choices everyone else made. I just prayed that I had done enough to Change the World and not destroy it.

* * *

A/N I posted early because I was feeling down and needed a pick me up and I've found that my story is a perfect way to do that. So what do you think? I guess there is a lot that happened to think over but I hope that it was good. I'm kind of unsure about my strength in writing Katara (she was hard and I'm not sure I did a good job with her). Anyway let me know what you think.

Princess Kassie Out.


	38. Tales of the World

Chapter 38

Tales of the World

The Tale of Nuuttuittuq (Nut)

She had lived millennia but few mortals had interested Nuuttuittuq as Maddison Fletcher did. She did not understand the need of a second name but Maddison never used it so Nuuttuittuq thought it must not have been very important. She could still remember first seeing the girl, floating dismally in the mist that marked the boarder of the spirt world. Nuuttuittuq had never gone beyond that particular boarder, from what she knew nothing existed beyond that boarder. Yet here was proof of otherwise. A human girl, half dead, almost completely naked just floating in the mists that bordered the sprit world and the endless abyss.

Nuuttuittuq had never cared particularly for humans. She had often been accused of being a human sympathizer by the spirits who hated humans. Her reply was that it was hardly her fault that humans had chosen her star for navigation purposes or that they thanked her whenever they got home (although it caused her great pleasure, not that she would tell the other major spirits that). The role of spirits was beyond that of comprehension of humans, just as their minds were far to… simplistic to be of much interest. But a girl floating on the edge of the abyss was just too much to deny her curiosity. So Nuuttuittuq took the girl from that place and to were she was safer.

After Nuuttuittuq 'accidentally' checked the girl's mind she had been fascinated to discover a language that she had never heard before. She wasn't sure where the girl had come from but she knew that the struggle to learn a totally new language would be hard and with the war… Nuuttuittuq knew that to mess with a mortal's mind was immoral but she was helping this mortal. And she was fascinated by her.

After doing what she could to ensure Maddison's survival Nuuttuittuq proceeded to watch over the girl, her interactions with the various major spirits and minor alike. She can to appreciate her and found herself feeling something akin to admiration for all she had overcome. The nickname bestowed upon her by the girl didn't bother her as much as she had thought it would. She was ashamed to admit that she actually cared about the welfare of this strange mortal. But she couldn't stop herself from watching, guiding, comforting and even cheering the small girl on as she faced obstacle after obstacle in her way with aplomb.

She had been watching Maddison's time in Ba Sing Se closely, well aware of the danger the girl faced. But she couldn't help but smile as she watched the girl… no, woman get pulled along by her friends to the spa.

"I'm not sure that…"

"Hey if I gotta go so are you!" The blind earthbender, Toph proclaimed. Maddi sighed, her head bending in submission but the smile teasing her cheeks said otherwise.

"Besides, it's a girl's day out. Unless you'd rather spend the day with Sokka." Katara teasing laughingly.

"Can I take that option?" Maddi questioned but the laughter in her voice could no longer be hidden.

"No!" The other girls chorused causing Maddison to burst out laughing. Nut watched the three of them with warm eyes.

"I see you are enjoying the show?" Nut spun and instantly was on her knees.

"My lady, I did not expect you to be coming." La laughed.

"Rise Nuuttuittuq, or should I call you Nut now?" Nuuttuittuq blushed deeply at her lady's teasing tone.

"Forgive me I have become... fascinated with the humans."

"I am well aware, in particular Maddison. Many spirits are fascinated with her. I must warn you though, it would be best if it did not become common knowledge that you were the one to bring her to the world." Nuuttuittuq frowned but nodded.

"Why my lady? Is she in trouble?" La did not reply, instead turning away.

"I thank you for encouraging her to save my daughter and priestess. Some great events are about to unfold." Nuuttuittuq's mind whirled as she deciphered the hidden meaning behind her lady's words and paled as they took form. Looking back at the girls who were enjoying a mud bath and laughing at Toph bending the substance her heart sank. She would have to look beyond Maddison for the time being.

Nuuttuittuq cast her gaze elsewhere in the world, looking for other humans that Maddi had effected on her journey. The first one to come to mind was Jet. The young man was wandering the streets of Ba Sing Se, convinced that he had given up a life of crime fighting to leave peacefully and quietly in the city. At the same time Smellerbee and Longshot were looking for him, fearful and wondering. Nut smiled at the emotions flying between those two. There was far more then just worry for Jet. Then her eyes wandered farther, looking into other areas of the world. That was when she realized just how much change Maddi had caused without realization.

* * *

The Tale of Zuko

It was a quiet night at the teashop when I noticed a girl watching me. More specifically a girl who had been in the teashop several times in the last few days. She seemed to be well on her way to becoming a regular. When she caught me looking at her she quickly averted her eyes to her tea cup. Nervously I began to wipe the counter. Was she some sort of spy? I shook the thought away. No, she was just a girl who was curious, probably about my scar.

"Thank you for the tea." I jumped in surprise, alarmed as she smiled at me. She was pretty, in a plain sort of way and something in her face was familiar.

"L...Lee." I stumbled, unsure about where this was going. I sent a nervous look to Uncle who smiled brightly and gave me a obvious wink. She smiled, introduced herself and then asked if I'd 'like to go out sometime'.

"He'd love to." I was beginning to wonder if I was even part of this conversation. Especially when, without consulting me the date was set for tonight. Not that I was complaining, Jin seemed like a nice girl but... I wasn't sure that I wanted a relationship. I still had a lot to figure out without a girl getting in my head. I already had to many girls in my head as it was. Azula and Maddi were enough, thank you. There was no way I was going to explain that to my uncle though so the date would have to be. After Jin left, wearing a bright smile I turned to Uncle.

"Why do I have to go on a date?"

"Why not. A date with a pretty girl might help you relax, have a bit of fun. When I was your age I had plenty of girls."

"I hope you mean on dates." I quickly interjected, turning nervous at where the conversation was headed. Uncle just laughed guiltily. Deciding not stay and accidentally get more details then I wanted I bolted to go ask a new customer what they would like.

That evening I found myself in a formal outfit with my hair slicked so close to the scalp I felt like I as wearing a wet rag. Grudgingly I slipped outside and looked for Jin. The sooner this date was over the better. Jin though clearly didn't have the same thoughts. When I walked out she laughed.

"Aren't you sweet." She laughed, reaching up on her tiptoes to ruffle my hair.

"My uncle took ten minutes to do that." I sighed, slightly annoyed. Jin just laughed and grabbed my hand.

"Come on, there's a really nice little restaurant that I'd like you to see." She dragged me through the streets of Ba Sing Se and I found myself relaxing. Perhaps uncle was right, this was nice in a strange way. Then again my only interactions with girls consisted of my sister and her crazy friends, Maddi and Song. Five girls in seventeen years. That was really sad in hindsight. Most boys my age probably had been with more then five.

As I trotted to keep up with her I found myself completely lost in the winding streets of Ba Sing Se. Jin stopped a few minutes later and pulled me out of the alleyway that we had been running through. In front of us was a restaurant. It was a small, quaint place but clean, pleasant and had a good number of people happily chatting. I did notice though that a good portion of them were couples. Great. Jin let go of my hand and walked across the street to the restaurant. I quickly followed her, realizing it would be rude to leave her alone. The woman at the counter smiled when she saw us.

"Hello Jin, who's this?"

"Yasmin, this is Lee, Lee this is Yasmin." I nodded to the girl, she like Jin was very pretty and shorter then me. In fact of all the earth kingdom girls I had met not one of them was as tall as Maddi. Song had been the closest out of them all and even then she was half a head shorter then I.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lee. Jin you have table twelve, you know where it is." I was beginning to think that Jin knew this restaurant a lot better then she had been letting on when she told me about it. Song seemed to realize that too and blushed when she caught my pointed look.

"My sister works here," she explained, "she's not working tonight though, don't worry." I sighed and nodded, following her to one of the outlaying tables. We sat across from each other and fell into silence.

"Soo. How are you liking the city so far?"

"It's... nice." And utterly corrupt if what Maddi told me is correct I added mentally.

"What do you like to do for fun?" I blinked. What did I like to do for fun?

"I've never had much time for fun," I admitted softly. Jin's face fell.

"Oh. Why?" I shifted uncomfortably.

"I was pretty preoccupied with other things and my uncle and I... we never really stayed in one place long enough to have fun there."

"I'm sorry."

"It's hardly your fault." I pointed out, "You didn't even know me until a few hours ago." I fell silent again as a waiter walked over and handed us our food. Once he walked away we were silent again until Jin spoke.

"So why were you traveling that much?"

"We were refugees, our home was pretty much destroyed and we had nowhere to go." I shrugged, "How about you? Have you ever left Ba Sing Se?" Jin shook her head and picked up her fork.

"No, I was born here, my father is a woodworker and my mom and older sister work in restaurants like this. I'm going to have to get my own job too pretty soon actually."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen." Jin replied, "So I'm officially a woman now. My sister's seventeen, she's getting married next week. How about you?'

"I turned seventeen a few weeks ago." She nodded. For a while we focused on our food, just enjoying the atmosphere and the tastes. Uncle was right, this was nice.

After dinner Jin dragged me away again, talking excitedly about a 'firelight fountain' that she wanted me to see. I found myself smiling at her smile. I had not been this happy in a long time.

"Oh no." I looked up. I had been watching Jin's braids as they bounced in time to her running. We were standing in a large courtyard, with a large fountain in the centre. All around there were large pole lanterns and candles floating on the water. Not one was lit.

"Normally it's beautiful with the flames reflected in the water-"

"Close your eyes." I told her, stepping forward. She had made me happy, it was time to return the favour.

"Why?"

"Just do it... and don't peek." Jin nodded and covered her eyes with her hands. Once I was sure she wasn't going to disobey my words I took a deep breath and began to fire bend.

It was liberating to be able to fall into the familiar forms that were as important as breath to me. Once I was done I had to admit. She was right it was beautiful. The golden lights shimmering off the water illuminated the entire area in a soft glow that was reflected on the water turning the clear to gold.

"You can look now." Jin's entire face lit up as she turned to me in wonder.

"How did you..." I smiled and put a finger to my lips. To my surprise Jin bounced up and pushed my hand away then pressed her lips to my own.

After she pulled away I discovered that I couldn't stop smiling. This was nice. I was glad that I had spent time with Jin, she was an amazing girl.

"Thank you." She whispered as she pulled my hand into hers. I just continued to smile, thanking her quietly so no one else would hear it.

* * *

Tale of Maddi

I sighed, relaxing under Appa's familiar shade in the backyard. Yesterday Toph and Katara had dragged me along with them to the spa although their reasons for doing so were radically different. Katara wanted all three girls otherwise it wasn't a 'girl's day out' and Toph just wanted someone else to be miserable. It had actually been a lot of fun, especially the mud bath and the steam room. It had helped me relax but I was still anxious about Long Feng's threats. What would that man be willing to do to get what he wanted?

"You done yet?"

"Are you going to stop babysitting me?"

"No."

"There's your answer." Sokka groaned and rolled back over with a roll of his eyes.

"Can we at least practice?" I nodded and stood. Over the months together Sokka and I had both become very good. Defeating the other had really become a battle of endurance and luck. That didn't mean that we went any easier, in fact we went out of our ways to push the other into new heights. I didn't remember Sokka being this good at fighting from the series but perhaps competition against someone had pushed him to new heights as it had me.

It was easy to fall into the familiar pattern between us. The battle in some ways more relaxing then the spa had been. It was ironic, I though as I parried a blow and then countered with a jab to the shoulder which he blocked.

"So am I supposed to read your mind or are you going to tell me what is bothering you?" I swung to the left, dodging his attack and partially blocking it with the bow saddled on my back.

"It's nothing that can be dealt with right now… yunno, the future." I responded swinging m now out and around and notching an arrow. For the purposes of this exercise my arrows were covered with a thick cloth wrapped around the sharp head. Sokka too had found a way to dull his boomerang short-term so that we could alternate between long and close distance combat in the same fight. Both would leave a heck of a bruise if they ever landed but both of us were quite effect when it came to dodging by now.

"Well then can you please relax, leave the backyard. Do something? Despite what you think none of us like this any more then you do." He paused, "Besides the Dai Li would have a heck of a time trying to keep you down."

"They're earth benders, I can only do so much if my feet are stuck to the ground."

"Valid point." I loosed my arrow and it was dodged easily enough by Sokka who threw his own boomerang. After I ducked away from that metal projectile I raised my hands.

"Fine, stop. If you're that confined let's get out of here. Go exploring." Sokka's smile lit up the entire backyard.

* * *

(Tale of Maddi continued)

I smiled as I wandered through the lower ring. It was a beautiful day. If I didn't have a babysitter it would be perfect. Sokka though seemed just as content to explore the lower ring and not act like he was guarding me. Katara seemed to have the bad habit of acting like I was a toddler when it was the two of us. I loved Katara, really I did but she needed to learn how to let me have my freedom and that I could take care of my self just as well as she could. I paused while walking by a basket vendor, noticing the flower in full bloom in semi-shade. The moon flower. I quickly scanned the street but saw no sign of Iroh. Still I wasn't just going to let it go. Turning to the vendor I spoke.

"Have you seen an old man around here? About this tall, long white beard, big belly?" The man nodded with a smile.

"Is he your grandfather? He was a very nice fellow, quite polite. Went down that way about an hour ago." He pointed down the road, the same way we had been walking.

"Yes, thank you." I replied and grabbing Sokka's arm away from admiring a basket I dragged him up the path. Meeting Iroh would be amazing, I would love to chat with him more. Then I stopped. Today was Lu-Ten's birthday. Did I really want to disturb Iroh in his grieving?

"Pala? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I decided, "I just wanted to go look at that flower shop." Sokka sent me a strange look but didn't argue. Instead he shrugged and wandered in with me. The thick perfume of multiple flowers all in full bloom was heavy in the air as I wandered into the lit shop. It was beautiful. I quickly found myself enchanted in a large yellow glossy flower which reminded me somewhat of a buttercup and lily cross. Noticing my attention to the plant the vendor came over and began to talk it up, praising the glow that it possessed. It was a relative of the moonflower that was prized for the yellow glow it cast when catching the sunlight.

"I'll buy one please." I stated, utterly taken by the plant. Sokka just shook his head but didn't seem as bothered as he was trying to be.

A few minutes later we left with my flower placed in the safety of a separate pot. I was really loving the glow it cast, just like the vendor had stated. Heading home now that the sun was beginning to sink towards the west I teased Sokka about his interest in bags, sacks and various carrying tools. He ignored me with a shaking head.

"I'm glad to see that you're enjoying yourself." I shrugged.

"Even I need a little bit of time to be girly, although in all honesty the spa was a lot more pampering then I had expected." Sokka didn't reply. Frowning I turned to him. He had stopped and was looking around nervously. Frowning I put my potted plant down and looked around. It was quiet. Too quiet. Then a young man strode across the street, freezing when he saw us. For a long moment not one of us moved from our spot.

"Jet?"

* * *

The Tale of Su-Sen

The heat of the sun pressed down upon me, cracking my lips and scorching my back. Quietly I leaned against a tree and hoped for death to come to me. This slow death was no more then I deserved. If I was still in the army my blood would have been spilt on the ground and my head would have become separated from my body. This way was better.

I must have blacked out because when I woke something cold and wet was being pressed to my face. I gasped, my tongue instinctively going towards the wetness, wanting to feel like something besides sand cloth.

"Here, drink." The water poured down my throat much to slow for my liking but I didn't complain. Whoever was saving me I was thankful for. Perhaps the spirits had decided to allow me to have a life after all. The water was taken away after I had drunk a large portion. Blearily I opened my eyes only to freeze in shock. The familiar weathered face of my own father looked down upon me. For a split second I believed that I had somehow died and was now dreaming on my path to the spirit world but I was proven wrong when he wrapped his arms around me and began to cry. If there was one thing that always remained true was that my father never cried.

"Sue-Sen, I thought... I though I had lost you." He swept, clinging to me like life itself.

"Father I don't..."

"We were told that you're battalion was captured by the fire nation. We thought you were dead." Shame ran through me like a hot poker.

"I should be." I replied struggling to get out of his arms.

"Then thank the spirits for preserving your life and let us go home."

"You don't understand!" I shouted, shooting upwards only to loose my balance and fall. My father caught me, unwilling to let me fall.

"I understand perfectly. The spirits preserved the life of my oldest son."

"The spirits did nothing. I ran away." I expected my father to drop me, to turn his back and leave me to die as I deserved. Instead he looked me straight in the eyes.

"I don't care. Your entire battalion is dead but you are alive. I don't care if you killed your own commander, you're my son and you're coming home." My father threw my arm around his shoulder and helped me up, pushing me onto Runner our ostrich horse.

I must have blacked out again because when I woke up I was in my bed at home. The room smelled musty, old, I hadn't slept here in over a year so I wasn't that surprised.

"Sue-Sen! Mom, Dad, Su-Sen's awake." I sat up as Lee, my little brother tackled me, beaming excitedly.

"Hey there Lee." I laughed, swinging my legs out of bed, still clutching the young boy. Noticing his smile I grinned.

"Well look at that, you've lost some teeth." Lee grinned excitedly.

"I know I'm almost grown up right? Zuko thought so!"

"...Zuko?" I asked but was ignored as with an excited cry my mother threw herself at me.

"Mother, it's alright, I'm fine." I explained, patting her back awkwardly as she sobbed into my shirt. After a moment she pulled away allowing me to pose my question again.

"Who's Zuko?"

I could feel my jaw go slack as my little brother told me the story of Zuko, _Crown Prince of the Fire Nation_ banished because he wanted to end the war, who wanted to defeat his father just as much as we did, who gave Lee a knife, rescued my little brother, and had declared the man who some people called the greatest fire lord in history insane. As the story was unveiled I began to feel a large amount of respect for the man who was willing to do so much for strangers who didn't even belong to his own nation. I had heard the tale of the avatar being around but I had no idea about this prince. A strange feeling came upon me and I realized what I had to do. To restore my own self-worth I would join Zuko's army, create it if I had to, and I would help him take down the fire lord for good.

* * *

Tale of Yue

High priestess of the moon Yue sighed as she meditated by the spirit oasis. She was trying to get in contact with La, hoping that the spirit of the moon would provide the answers that Yue wanted. Answers about who was to be the next ruler of the Northern Water Tribe. As she had been her father's only child there was no other heir and as she was a priestess now she was not allowed to have any attachment to the tribe itself beyond that of a priestess. If Hahn was still alive then he would have automatically become the next king, however he was dead which left no one. As priestess though it was her duty to choose the heir if such a case as this were to occur. The problem was I could think of no one who would be able to make a good king. I had unfortunately had little access to men beyond my father as princess so I had little knowledge of the men in our tribe.

"Yue." I turned opening my eyes. Behind me was a woman in her early twenties. She was beautiful, thick dark hair that fell down her back like a waterfall and a blue and silver dress. Her eyes though were entirely white and glowed eerily.

"Who are you?" I gasped, standing and stumbling away in shock. The stranger raised a single hand in a sign of peace.

"Be calm, I am Nuuttuittuq, first lady to La. I believe that I have some information that will aid you greatly."

* * *

The Result of Rumours

Deep in the heart of the fire nation, was a man who sat behind a brazier of fire. He had heard many things from his spies around the earth kingdom but this was the final straw. His enemies were massing, creating a force that unless it was squashed he would be unable to fight. It was clear now that the Avatar was a much greater threat then he had first appeared, as were his companions. Unless something was done these rumours would grow and with them a rebellion that could threaten his own empire. Fire lord Ozai stood. First it had been a simple annoyance but time and time again this avatar had not only avoided all efforts of capture he was rallying the people along with this girl... Maddison he had heard was her name. A strange name for a earth kingdom girl but there were rumours that she was not just earth kingdom, that she was a fire nation colonial or that she had even been born fire nation and had changed sides. Either way that name should be easy to find unless she had created it herself.

It was his son he was far more worried about. There were faint whispers of a rebellion forming in Zuko's name. That there were people cheering for his son, proclaiming him the true fire lord. These whispers were even running amok in his own lands. No longer. The avatar and his friends would be put back into line and he would make sure that his brother and son would never have a chance to defeat him. He wanted them gone and defeated. Not killed, that would make martyrs of them. No, better to lock them away where they would never see the light. If they happened to waste away in jail no one would be the wiser. It was time for the fire lord to take action and take back his empire.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that it took so long for me to update but on the upside I have finished two of my AP exams so I'm pretty much finished hooray for that. So I can begin updating on a regular bases again. Thank you for your patience.

As for the guest who has been reviewing thank you for reminding me to keep posting even if I am busy. I'm glad that you are enjoying my story so far.

Princess Kassie Out.


	39. Jet Returned-The Puppet King

Chapter 39

Jet Returned/The Puppet King

"Jet?" The leader of the freedom fighters stared at us in shock. For a while no one moved. Suddenly Jet lurched away and began to run. I didn't think, taking chase, everything else forgotten.

"Pala! Wait!" Sokka shouted chasing after me as I pelted after the brainwashed boy. Somehow I managed to chase him into a dead end. Spinning Jet put up his hands, alarmed.

"I don't mean any harm! I just want to live in peace!"

"Then why did you run?" I asked sharply as I continued to approach him.

"Pala, leave him-"

"Not now Sokka." I snapped before turning back to Jet. He stared at me in shock, wide-eyed.

"Jet," I said calmly, "Tell me about how you've been living here, where are the others? We won't hurt you we just want to know." He glanced between Sokka and I before relaxing slightly.

"I've been living here peacefully. I left everyone else behind. I just want to live quietly."

"Then we won't do anything. We just want to ask you some questions." Jet's eyes narrowed, he was uncertain now. The thought of Jet mistrusting me was an ironic twist but it was the fault of the Dai Li. Still, I wasn't just going to sit back quietly. I knew what was going to happen to Jet and I was going to stop it.

"Come with us then, I'm sure Katara would be glad to see you." That was clearly the wrong choice. Both boys stared at me like I was insane. Quickly I explained.

"If you've given up on attacking innocents she might forgive you," I explained, "don't you want that?"

Somehow I managed to convince Jet to come with us. It took a lot more wheedling and a few quick jabs in Sokka's side to convince both to come home without attacking each other although I was more worried about what was about to happen, and Katara's reaction.

I wasn't off about Katara's reaction. The young waterbender was waiting outside when we arrived and one look at Jet told us everything we needed to know. Katara was nowhere close to forgiving him. From the looks of it, Ozai was closer to calling off the war to learn dressmaking then she was of forgiving Jet.

"What is he doing here?" She snarled, storming up to Sokka and I. The two of us shared a look.

"Katara-"

"Don't Katara me! For the spirits' sake you're the oldest of all of us! I-"

"Katara he needs our help or he's going to die!" I hissed. Two sets of blue eyes sent me identical alarmed looks.

"What!"

"Long story short he was brainwashed by the Dai Li. I can prove it but I need Smellerbee and Longshot here too. They're in the lower ring." There was silence for a moment.

"You do realize that the lower ring is still huge! We could be searching for days!"

"I don't know how long we have," I admitted, trying to stay calm despite the worry and fear I felt in my companions, "but we've got to make our move before Azula."

"I thought we were done with the secrets." A flush crept over my face.

"It kind of... slipped my mind." Sokka made a noise of disgust and threw up his hands. Katara just shook her head.

"Um, excuse me, what is going on?" I turned back to Jet, flanked by the water tribe siblings.

"Um... you don't happen to know where Smellerbee and Longshot are... do you?" Jet sent me a disgusted look then sent Katara a very nervous one. My eyes flicked between Jet's pleading look at Katara and in shock I realized that he actually had some sort of feeling for her. The look reminded me of the looks that I would often see a boy send to a girl. It both fascinated and sickened me. I was never going to be a friend of Jet, I was never going to even like him but I could use this attraction to save not only his life but the life of others. I could manipulate him if it meant saving his life. There would be no guilt. Okay maybe a little. I walked towards him and stepped on a stone, turning my ankle and plunging towards him. Jet moved to catch me but missed. Instead I plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. Jet yelped in pain and I cried out in shock. Springing up I began to babble apologies. There was a long scrape across my left arm and Jet had blood pouring from just above his temple.

"You're bleeding, Katara's a healer here, come inside, we'll get you cleaned up." The glare Katara sent me was strong enough to curdle milk but I ignored it in favour of blocking Jet's view of it, guiding him inside the house.

"Maddi- What is he dong here!?" Aang demanded hands up in a defensive position. I sent him a wide eyed glance and shook my head slightly. His nose wrinkled slightly but he relaxed slightly. Toph meanwhile cocked her head.

"So who's this?" I turned to the short earthbender and quickly introduced the two.

"Toph this is Jet, Jet this is Toph, Aang's earthbending teacher." Jet grimaced and waved. I twitched.

"Sorry Toph, Jet's mute-"

"I am not mute!" I grinned at Jet. I may be trying to save his life but he still owed me for breaking Katara's heart.

"Well look at that, do we finally have the real Jet back or are you going to hide behind wishy-washy again?" Now it was Jet sending me a glare. I couldn't bring myself to care though, this was a little payback. Turning I noticed Katara and Sokka had followed us in. Katara was filling a bowl with water, pointedly ignoring both Jet and I but a smile played on her lips. That smile was well worth acting half my age, it was a smile I hadn't seen a lot of.

"Jet come over here please." Jet approached Katara, his body language screaming that he was uncomfortable. He sat down anyway but twitched nervously whenever one of us moved. This was probably confusing his addled brain and I wondered how much the Dai Li had effected. Katara pulled out a good portion of water, allowing it to float by his ear as the cut slowly vanished. Suddenly Katara's face furrowed and the water crept farther, covering nearly the entire side of his head. Jet twitched and gasped in pain, suddenly leaping out of his chair.

"What are you doing to me!" He screamed, hands clawing at his temples. Alarm flooded through me and I barked out the first words that came to my mind.

"Jet the earth king has invited you to Lake Laogai." Jet suddenly straightened, his panic falling away as his eyes turned black.

"I am honoured to accept his invitation." I froze, disgust welling up inside of me as I stared at Jet's blank face.

"What by Tui and La was that!" I jumped in shock. I had never heard Sokka curse before, invoking the name of the spirits was the equivalent of any bad cuss in our world and Sokka was clearly both terrified and furious. Slowly the entire story spilled from my lips, explaining everything, the brain washing, the Dai Li, even Long Feng and the Earth King. When I was done everyone was quiet for some time.

"That's sick." Katara was the first to speak. Disgust filled her eyes.

"I may not care for Jet but that doesn't give anyone the right to treat him this way." She turned back to the young man and explained.

"When I was healing his cut I felt... something like a chakra block in his head... I tried to touch it but... well you saw what happened. So that block is the result of brainwashing?" I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Yes, although I'm surprised it worked, I guess that I thought Long Feng would be sophisticated enough to have trained the brainwashed people to only respond to his voice." I explained, watching Jet's still form. He was barely even breathing.

"I'm going to release him. Be prepared to have him attack again." I explained, striding forward.

"Wait. Maddi, shouldn't Katara see if she can heal him now?" I paused looking at Toph in appreciation. She had a valid point.

"Sure." Katara moved forward and began to run her water-covered hands over Jet's head, brow furrowed in concentration.

"I don't like this." Aang muttered, moving to stand by me, eyes focused on Katara's skillful hands.

"None of us do but we can't leave him like this, even if he did try to kill us."

"You're going to have to fill me in on that story." Toph told Sokka who nodded in acknowledgement. We stayed silent, watching Katara work. Finally she pulled away.

"You're going to have to release him from this state Maddi, whatever it is I can't do anything with him like this." I nodded and stepped forward, the wood creaking under my feet. I could feel my companions fall into bending stances, prepared to protect themselves and me if Jet proved to be a threat after I released him.

"Jet, the Earth King thanks you for your company." I was guessing because I had no idea how to break the hold. Silently I prayed that my words were close enough and I hadn't permanently damaged him. Why had I used those words? What gave me the right? Manipulating people like Jet was going to make me like Long Feng if I allowed myself to continue. Luckily either that was the release or it was close enough that Jet came out of it. With a groan he collapsed onto the floor. In an instant Katara was there, reaching down and working on his head again. It felt like we stood there for hours, no, weeks before she moved, pulling away and helping Jet up.

"What... what happened?" He frowned then his eyes widened when they set themselves on Katara.

"Katara? What are you doing here? Where..."

"What was the last thing you remember Jet?" Katara asked insistently, blue eyes not leaving Jet's brown ones. Jet frowned.

"The Dai Li... they... they shoved me into this jail carriage and..." he winced, "I don't know, everything becomes fuzzy after that. What are you doing here?"

* * *

We explained the whole thing to Jet. With our help he was able to remember Lake Laogai and what the Dai Li did to him but it was fuzzy and unfocused. He openly admitted to missing huge chunks of his memory including everything after his brainwashing. Then he insisted on going to find Longshot and Smellerbee.

"I think that's a good idea but all three of you need to get out of Ba Sing Se. If you stay... something really bad could happen. I recommend always traveling with at least one other person too." To my surprise Jet shook his head.

"I'm not leaving, not yet. I'm going to tell the Earth King." I sighed.

"Jet you-"

"Actually Jet's right." Katara agreed, "The Earth King needs to know about all of this and because of our advantage Long Feng doesn't know that we know. Besides the more people to help us the better." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. That was extremely mature of Katara but the fact still remained that Jet was a potential threat.

"And what if Jet's brain isn't as clear as you think?" I challenged, "He could turn on us without a moment's warning. It would be better if he just stayed far, far away from Long Feng."

"How about this. Two of us go with Jet to pick up Longshot and Smellerbee. After that we return to the rest of the group. If something of Long Feng's influence is still there then Maddi can always stop him, if not we would far outnumber him." I sighed. I wasn't happy with Sokka's choice but it made sense. As much as I hated to admit it.

"So who is going to pick up the other two then?"

"Maddi and Katara." Both of us looked at Sokka like he was crazy.

"You're not serious?" I asked. Leaving Jet with just me and Katara was a good way to end up with a dead Jet.

"It makes sense if you think about it." Sokka explained, "Pala if she was normal would be desperately looking for a husband and Katara's at the right age to start perusing her own. The Dai Li don't know that we know Jet. It's perfect." Sokka stopped when he saw my expression. If this had been my old wold I would have been howling sexist to the four corners of the globe. As it was I had to remember that Sokka had improved quite a lot and that I would be facing that kind of attitude for the rest of my life.

Once again the image of a little girl with a red ribbon flashed across my eyes. My daughter. Somewhere out there was a man who I would have a child with. I wouldn't be alone forever, I would have a husband. Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and let the moment pass.

"Sure, I'm in. But I'm not flirting."

"Why do I have to?"

"You don't either. Leave it all to Jet." Jet's expression became ver tight as it flickered between Katara and I but he nodded. Clearly deciding that complaining would not be a good idea. Besides, I thought with a smug grin, I bet that he isn't to upset about flirting with Katara. To bad he doesn't know that she's taken.

Katara muttered something under her breath and she grabbed Jet's hand, storming out the door with me in tow. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The reaction in riding Appa to the palace was similar to that of a kicked over ant hill. Soldiers and Dai Li were everywhere, running around, weapons in hands and rocks shooting at us. Appa's saddle was feeling a great deal more squished then it had earlier as we had three extra members. Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot had all insisted upon coming with us and I had a sneaking suspicion that Smellerbee was planning on murdering Long Feng, not something that I disliked the idea of. The problem was that Long Feng helped keep the Dai Li from going over to Azula right away. It was time that we would probably need in the end so I couldn't fully support it either. It was strange, it was almost as if we were a greater threat when they didn't know we knew his secret.

"Look out." Appa dodged to the side as a huge column of earth shot towards us. I caught Longshot notching an arrow and grabbed his shoulder.

"Avoid killing," I called, "Most of these soldiers are innocent." He send me a sharp glare but nodded. I silently cussed that I didn't understand him better. Unfortunately his silence always alluded me. I notched my own arrow silently counting them. Fifty in total. Not a lot, I would have to save my shots. Longshot's quiver was a lot larger then mine and it carried at least twice the amount of arrows.

"Sokka do you have a plan?" I shouted as Appa dodged another large chunk of rock.

"Of course I do! I always have a plan! I'm the plan guy!"

"... you don't have one. Do you?" I sniggered at Toph's disgusted tone.

"That's fine. I do. If push comes to shove just follow my lead... and pray for a ton of luck."

"That's assuring." Smellerbee muttered. I sent her a pointed look but refused to say anything beyond that.

The battle seemed to pass in a whirlwind. The benders did most of the world while Jet, Sokka, Longshot, and I picked off the occasional soldier who slipped through the well oiled machine that was my companions. I didn't understand why Jet had been so determined to come. What was the purpose? Revenge? If so would I actually have to protect Long Feng? That thought curdled my stomach.

Appa landed, dodging another huge pile of stone as Aang and Toph blocked it with their bending. Sliding off the eight of us spread into formation. Toph was in the lead with Aang right behind while the rest of us circled Appa, protecting the huge bison from manual attacks. I took the rear, watching everyone's backs with a sharp arrow.

I was suddenly under a huge stone cave. Toph's work. A large smash came from above causing me to grin. She had just saved us from getting squashed with stone statues. Once the 'cave' was gone we continued down the path, fighting in a rhythm all our own. It seemed like both seconds and hours later that we were battling inside the palace.

"Which way to the Earth King?" Sokka shouted.

"There's a pair of shiny green and gold doors larger then Appa. Through there," I hollered back, swinging out one of my fans to toss away a smaller chunk of rock flying towards me.

"You literally can't miss it!"

Ironically it was Jet who found the doors and shouted for us. I was pumped up on adrenalin, my body vibrating with excess energy as Aang threw the doors apart. The earth king was waiting for us on his dais along with a large amount of Dai Li and of course, Long Feng. All of us raised our perspective weapons. Toph a rock, Aang his staff, Katara a jet of water, Sokka his club, Longshot and I with our bows, Jet with his hooks and Smellerbee... two long wicked looking daggers. When had she gotten those, I found myself wondering nervously. Those daggers did not look friendly, even compared to Jet's weapons.

King Kuei was a young man in his late teens to early twenties, no more then five years older then me. Dressed in rick yellow robes and a green cape. A set of rich decorated jade beads hung around his neck and his crown was more of a hat with the earth kingdom emblem in the centre. He also wore a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose which gave him an air of superiority. His bear sat beside him, dressed in a gold shirt with a green hat. Seeing Basco made me smile, a real bear like the ones back home.

"We need to talk to you." Aang called. Long Feng turned and said something to King Kuei.

"They are here to overthrow you." Long Feng stated, his eyes focused on his 'king'. Puppet more like.

"No, we're here to warn you... about him." Jet hissed, eyes never leaving Long Feng who just smiled tartly at the boy. King Kuei was not impressed.

"You invade my palace, destroy my property and break my door? And you expect me to trust you?"

"He has a good point." Toph muttered but was shushed by Katara.

"If you are on my side put down your weapons."

"And then your guards will arrest us." I stated stepping forward. "Give us a chance to explain ourselves. Show us that you are as great a king as they say by keeping your word." Long Feng's eyes became predatory. I could almost see him trying to figure out my motives.

"I will allow you to explain yourself and I will listen, if you put down your weapons." I nodded and placed my bow, quiver and fans on the ground. My companions dropped there weapons next but it was a few more seconds before the freedom fighters did so. Judging from the looks in their eyes they were not excited about the aspect either. Long Feng twitched his hand and the Dai Li fell into a line behind us but they did not attack. We all shared a look. Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves I stepped forward.

"My liege, my name is Maddison, although I am known as the girl of all nations, spirit walker and amongst the water tribes, Palartok. These are my traveling companions, Aang the avatar, Toph Be-Fong, Katara and Sokka children of Chief Hakoda, Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot of the freedom fighters a group dedicated to protecting small villages and towns from external threats." I could see the surprise in the eyes of my friends and the freedom fighters for the way I painted them. By emphasizing their role I was placing them as more then mere peasants but as nobles and heroes.

"We came here to gain your assistance to create an army. You see there is a war, a war from which Long Feng has been hiding from you and many of the nobles here in Ba Sing Se. This is a power play so that he has full control of Ba Sing Se, to him my liege you are little more then a figurehead." Sokka's face looked stricken at my bluntness while Long Feng was silently promising me a painful death and to extract every single threat he made to me those weeks ago. King Kuei too looked very disturbed and mistrusting of my words.

"Upon arriving we began to discover this plot from Long Feng. He might as well be the real earth king. He tells you he is your advisor yet in public he goes by your 'cultural minister' and yet it is you who take care of all the cultural work while he deals with everything else. He has hundreds if not thousands of women here in Ba Sing Se all responding to the name Doo Jee who have been brainwashed and work as spies for him as well as a means to control the city through fear and manipulation." Kuei sent a strange look at Long Feng who suddenly looked more then a little constipated.

"These people are trying to trick you, turn you against me with their fancy words and complicated accusations to manipulate your mind. This girl is nothing special." Long Feng snarled, trying desperately to gain control of the situation.

"Then I'll prove it. If I'm correct sire you looked surprised when you heard the name Joo Dee, did you just meet a woman named that? If so will you kindly send for her. I can prove without a doubt that she has been brainwashed.: Kuei nodded and waved his hand. One soldier left the room. Turning back I began to speak again, noticing out of the corner of my eye the astonished look in the eyes of the freedom fighters. I felt a smile quirk my lips.

"Sire, when did you take the throne? You were very young right? Ten years old?"

"Four." Kuei stated confused. I blinked. I had not been expecting him to have been that young.

"I see, and Long Feng has been your advisor this entire time?" Kuei nodded, not understanding where I was going with this.

"He controlled Ba Sing Se until you were old enough to correct? Well whose to say that he didn't decide that he liked the power and kept it? Who is to say he has not been manipulating you from the very start?" There was silence for a long moment. Long Feng's constipated look was gone and now he looked red in the face, like he was about to explode. There was a grunt from behind me and a giggle. Turning I saw Basco the bear lick Aang on the cheek and promptly pin him to the ground. Aang didn't seem upset by the bear mauling him so I turned back to the king in time to see a guard escorting Joo Dee, our Joo Dee into the room. My eyes narrowed. I was going to have fun with this.

"Hello Joo Dee." She made a squeaky noise like a dog toy that had been stepped on and shot a panicked look at Long Feng.

"Can you tell me about the other Joo Dee's." She looked confused but shook her head and the annoying smile was back on her face.

"I'm Joo Dee."

"What about the others?"

"There are no others. I'm Joo Dee." I twitched. Glancing up at King Kuei I realized I had lost his interest. I needed his attention again and fast.

"Sire, please pay attention. Joo Dee, the earth king has invited you to Lake Laogai."

"I am honoured to accept his invitation." Now I had his attention. I had everyone's attention. Especially Long Feng's he looked ready to kneel over. Payback for threatening me I thought with a grin.

"Your highness, this is a hypnotic trance that-" I was cut off by a sudden stab of pain in the back of my neck. And everything dissolved into darkness.

* * *

Sokka's POV

It was to late to do anything.

Maddi had just knocked Joo Dee into that strange trance that we had seen in Jet. It was terrifying, especially some of the things she had revealed. One moment she had been standing in front of us, face beaming in pride for her skill at debate and the next she lay crumpled on the ground with a Dai Li agent standing above her.

Instinct forced me to act the only way I knew how. In seconds the Dai Li agent was down for the count, pinned by earth, ice and with a sharp boomerang pointed at his neck. Katara was working frantically on Maddi before pulling away with a sigh.

"She's unconscious but stable." She stated, eyes flicking nervously back and forth between the pinned Dai Li agent, our shocked faces, King Kuei's shocked face and Long Feng's overly smug one. I felt sick. The bastard had planned that. He knew that Maddi was eloquent and that she would be able to sway the king over to our side in minutes. She wouldn't want us to give up though. While Katara worked on healing her I stepped forward. It was my turn and this time everyone was ready to be stabbed in the back.

"See! Long Feng realized that Maddi was to great of a threat so he got her out of the way! Let us show you , your highness just how much Long Feng has been keeping hidden from you. Let us bring you to Lake Laogai." King Kuei's eyes flicked to Long Feng but it was clear that he was not happy with the sudden turn of events. He nodded once and that was all that I needed.

* * *

A/N: Hi people I'm sorry that this took so long. I had a really bad case of writers block, I could barely write essays let alone something creative and then this chapter turned out to be really, really long. Anyway I want to thank all my reviewers I'll respond to the guest reviews below and remind everyone that unfortunately I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender but I do own Maddi and any other OC's that you see floating around this story. Thanks.

Guest: Fist of all don't worry about being impatient, sometimes knowing that someone really wants me to update soon can knock me into action, I will try more to get chapters out so that you don't have to worry about asking me.

KingDove: Well I'm not giving away just who I have decided upon yet for who Maddi's child is going to have as a father. However, it is coming up very quickly that Maddi will end up in a relationship with someone so I hope that helps. It should be in the next chapter or two that this relationship will start.

Alright then, thank you everyone once again for your infinite patience.

Princess Kassie Out.


	40. Destiny

Chapter 40

Destiny

_Sokka_

Katara stayed home, watching Maddi while the rest of us went with the king to Lake Laogai. I couldn't keep my mind off her. Maddi was like my sister, my best friend and now she was hurt again. She hadn't done anything dangerous, she should not have been in danger she was just talking. But Maddi's eloquence was as dangerous as my weapons. She won her best battles through her words. Not that she wasn't a good fighter but she didn't have the spirit of a warrior, she fought because she had to protect her family.

"So… this is a train." King Kuei stated looking around. None of us answered, even Toph was looking upset. Maddi was the peacemaker in our group and she always did her best to help each one of us however she could.

Long Feng hadn't stood a chance. The Dai Li agent was arrested but it had still caused damage to the king's faith in the man. He was more open and willing to listen. It was an advantage, if only the price hadn't been so high.

Katara had assured us that Maddi was fine, damage to a chakra at the base of the neck but a little healing had fixed it. She was still going to be unconscious for a while, it had been a hard blow. It still frustrated me. One of us should have realized that Long Feng would bend so low as to injure a woman with no weapon.

The train began to slow down and finally pulled to a stop. Jet grumbled something under his breath. While I had attacked the Dai Li agent who had attacked Maddi he had attempted to assassinate Long Feng. Luckily, the other Dai Li stopped him.

The second Toph's feet hit rock she shot forward with a cry of alarm. With how my day had been going I assumed the worst and took off after her. I stopped thunderstruck as we created the ridge. Two Dai Li agents running across the beach.

"Stop them!" We threw ourselves into action but the second we did the Dai Li spun and took off, away from us. Frowning I turned back to the king who had a frustrated look on his face.

"The entrance is this way." Toph called pointing in the direction the Dai Li had been running towards.

"I bet they were planning on destroying the evidence." Smellerbee narrowed her eyes at the king, as if accusing him for re Dai Li's actions. Toph shrugged and struck her foot into the sand. A large rock pier appeared.

The lake Laogai complex was dark, cold, wet and illuminated with eery green crystals that cast more shadow then light. It was also abandoned.

"There's no one... here." A strange expression crossed Toph's face and she pointed towards one of the stone doors. My eyes met Aang's and then Jet's as the three of us slowly approached. I threw the door open weapon at the ready only to be met by a flutter of activity and a panicked scream. Two women, both a few years older then Maddi stood there trembling in the darkness, clutching each other tightly. One was crying. We quickly lowered our weapons. I raised both hands in a sign of peace.

"It's okay, you're safe. My name's Sokka and you are...?" The one who wasn't crying stepped into the light slightly revealing herself to be a earth kingdom woman who fell almost perfectly into the majority.

"I'm Jade, this is Anju. We... we." And suddenly Jade was crying as well. I shifted, unsure. I didn't know how to comfort these women so I let them cry themselves out. Once both had become calm Jet, Longshot, Aang and I helped the women out, guiding them back up to the surface of the lake.

"Why were you in there?" King Kuei asked with a deep frown.

"Minister Long Feng offered me a job. I was living on the streets and my job..." Anju didn't need to explain further. Her clothes stated her occupation better then any words.

"I was begging on the streets to feed my daughter. She's living with my mother right now. My husband died to allow the two of us to escape to Ba Sing Se."

"I'm sorry, why were you here though? What were they planning?"

"I don't know," Anju whispered, "But there were other women like us... now there is only us." Silence.

"Does the name Joo Dee mean anything to you?" The reaction was immediate. Anju hit the ground and began rocking, singing a lullaby, eyes wide and black. Jade flinched, wretched and began to shake like her body was betraying her. We rushed over, eyes wide in worry for the two woman. Slowly they came back to the way they were.

"They kept bringing us into that room, with all the other women, they kept telling us our names were Joo Dee, it was all they said, I... I can't get their voices out of my head." King Kuei stepped forward. Everyone fell silent at his presence.

"I'm am sorry for what happened to you. I promise Long Feng will pay for his crimes. I will make sure of it."

"I can't believe Long Feng was keeping documents about us." Katara muttered looking at awe at the report of our father's whereabouts, "And I can't imagine how those women must feel."

"Well King Kuei is has his guards looking for all the Joo Dees he's hoping since you were able to heal Jet that you can help them." Katara nodded at Aang's words, still looking troubled. Toph was deep in thought about the paper that Katara had read to her, that her mother was in Ba Sing Se. Aang was excited to master the avatar state.

"How's Pala doing?" I asked nervously. Katara sighed.

"I healed the chakra completely but she'll probably be unconscious for a few days yet, the body usually needs time to recuperate naturally from such a blow." She sighed, "I'm going to have to stay here to watch over her, the rest of us need to split up. Sokka you should go to dad, Aang needs to go to that guru and Toph, well its her choice if she wants to see her mother or not."

"How did that guru find you Aang?" I heard myself asking. Aang shrugged.

"In the letter he said something about being contacted by a spirit."

"You know, is it just me or are the spirits becoming a lot more active then usual?"

* * *

_Maddi_

I woke up with a groan of pain, twitching I tried to pull myself up only to find a heavy weight at the back of my neck. Moaning I tried to get the attention of someone, and finally I managed to struggle into a sitting position.

"Hello?" My voice was hoarse, rough and painful to use but I called again anyway.

"Oh, miss, I'm sorry if I disturbed you." A woman who was close to my age walked in, a bowl of water in her hands.

"My name is Mara, You're friend Katara hired me to keep watch over you while she was gone. I'm glad to see you are awake, you really had your friends worried."

"Thanks," I muttered, hands touching the hard cast around my neck "what happened?"

"One of the Dai Li attacked you, apparently against orders. Its alright though, Long Feng is in jail, there is nothing to worry about any more."

"Thanks…" my voice trailed off as I looked at Mara. Something about her was unnervingly familiar but I couldn't place it. Then she smiled and my heart jumped. With a wail I threw myself out of bed and out of the room. I was still in my house but I wasn't about to let that calm me down. I skittered my way out of the house and down the street, thanking the heavens that I was dressed. How much time had passed since I had been knocked out? I didn't know and that was almost as unnerving as the woman's smile.

I didn't realize where I was going until I stopped. I was heading deeper into the upper ring, the businesses area. Sighing I waved a man over.

"Excuse me sir, can you direct me to the Jasmine Dragon? I'm afraid I'm a little lost." The man pointed me in the direction that I assumed was correct then turned away. I darted away in that direction. In this part of town the signs actually had words on them unlike in the lower ring which only used pictures as the number of literate people was significantly higher. My eyes flicked to a sign proclaiming the grand opening of 'The Jasmine Dragon'. The poster was a few days old but still useful in pointing me in the correct direction for the rest of the way there.

The Jasmine Dragon was a work of art. A lot of time and effort had clearly gone into its creation. Two gorgeous green dragons danced around the delegate lettering spelling out the name of the teashop. Inside Zuko bustled about, a small smile on his face. He didn't seem as content as he had in the original timeline but he looked content with his uncle's happiness.

"Lee!" I called, catching his attention. He looked at me and his small smile grew bigger. He waved and I slipped into the tea shop. I stopped in front of one of the women manning the door.

"Has a dark skinned, blue eyed girl come by?" She shook her head.

"If she does tell her that Palartok is here and wants to talk." The lady nodded and I continued in. Zuko's smile faltered when he got a closer look at me and he placed the tea tray down. I realized I was shaking. Joo Dee. I didn't care what that girl said her name was, that was a Joo Dee smile and it had terrified me. Now with my knowledge that I had been unconscious for about a week I was even more worried. Where was I in the timeline? Obviously before the coup but by how much? A day? An hour?

"What happened to your neck? Are you okay?" Zuko exclaimed in surprise his eyes flicking to the heavy poultice that I had forgotten. No wonder the man who gave me directions had such a strange look on his face. I reached around behind my neck and slowly peeled the cast off. It wasn't a plaster cast like they had back home, it was more of a stiff cloth used to support the neck... with wood inlay.

"I'll explain later," I stated, still holding the stiff cloth, "but you and your uncle need to get out of here. Azula is planning a coup and its happening soon." Zuko went pale at the thought but his eyes slipped to look at his uncle.

"I... I can't. This is everything my uncle wanted, he's happy. I can't ask him to leave."

"If you don't then Azula will kill him. Zuko I promise when the war is over Iroh will get his teashop back... if he doesn't I'll pull a few strings. The earth king totally owes me one." I lifted up the cast as proof of my words. Zuko shook his head and picked up the tea tray.

"I... Give me a few hours. Okay?" I nodded and stepped back, allowing Zuko to go back to work while I moved to sit at the steps leading up to the teashop.

I sat there for a while, deep in thought. How long had it been? Where was everybody now? Would I be able to get in contact with them if things went south faster then expected? I didn't know and the fact that I had a Joo Dee watching over me was enough to make me worry. I didn't care what that woman called herself. One smile was all I needed to know that she was a Joo Dee.

"Pala?" I looked up. Katara was standing in front of me, Momo perched on her shoulder, a scroll in hand. I smiled but the smile quickly froze on my face. That scroll meant that that tomorrow was the day of the coup.

"Katara did you leave me with a nurse?" Why was that the first thing I said? There were other more important things to be talking about right now.

"No... why?" Slowly the entire story came out. I explained waking up to the Joo Dee who called herself Mara, coming here and in a quieter voice what was about to happen. Katara was pale by the time I was finished.

"What happened to you guys?" I finished. Katara sighed. Momo hopped into my lap and I began to pet him. The lemur happily shoved his face into my side, begging for more attention.

"Well I stayed here to work out a plan with the counsel of five for the day of black sun, Toph went to meet her mother who is in the city. Aang found himself a guru for the avatar state and Sokka is with dad. Jet and the Freedom fighters decided to leave the city." I nodded. Behind me Zuko's voice rang out for the next order of tea causing me to jump and send a worried look at Katara. She didn't even blink. Surprised I raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I've been coming here since the grand opening." She explained, "Jet wanted to apologize for the way he treated us." I stared at Katara in shock.

"You went on a date... with Jet?" Her eyes widened and she quickly denied it.

"No, he was just apologizing. Besides, I don't like Jet like that... not anymore and I made that perfectly clear." I shook my head with a smile but didn't question who made her face light up after she sentence was finished. She was thinking about Aang, I recognized that face.

"Maddi... what happened in the tale of us... you know in your world?" I blinked then smiled.

"You and Aang or you and Jet." Katara's face turned several shades darker and she sent me a scathing look, causing me to laugh.

"You and Jet don't work out but you probably already knew that. He... he ends up dying trying to disobey direct orders when under a trance. You and Aang... that's up to you to decide." Katara nodded but then stood.

"We need to do something about Azula. Stop her and rescue Kuei. The others aren't due back for another few days so we're on our own."

"Then let's go talk to Zuko and Iroh, we'll need every bit of help we can get." I insisted.

* * *

I could see. The metal incasing me, surrounding me had been black until now. Now I could see. The cold no longer bit into my feet, it kept me awake, it kept me aware. The metal was responding. I could feel the earth inside it, feel it respond to my movements. Grinning I placed my hands against the cold metal and pushed.

* * *

The final chakra. The thought chakra. Cosmic energy. But to access it I had to let go of my friends but more importantly I had to let go of Katara. I couldn't.

"Why would I let go of her? I love her." But I had to learn this. My friends would want it. Katara would want it. I grit my teeth.

"Aang, letting go is not forever, it will not make your love any less. Learn this young avatar." I jumped. A woman stood on the far edge of the rock. She smiled, nodded at me and vanished. A spirit. She was right. I sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

I laughed. All these men, the fathers of the ones I had tried to train. The men of the tribe. And I was one of them. I was a warrior, a great warrior. I would help protect the earth kingdom from the fire nation. I would one day be chief in my own right. It was my turn to show that I not only was I a warrior, I was a leader, a man, and one day I would be chieftain.

* * *

Madison had inspired me, I wasn't going to lie. The thought of being heroes was something I had wanted all along but we had gone to far. After discovering what I had done my freedom fighters left me. All but Smellerbee and Longshot. My two oldest friends. The first freedom fighters beyond myself. None of us ever used our real names any more. We were Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot. Those were our names and those were who we were. A team, a family, companions.

* * *

We were heroes

We were warriors

We were protectors

We were guardians

We were lovers

We were friends

We were family

We are one

* * *

_Maddi_

After the shop was closed for the day Katara and I sat around a table talking to Zuko and Iroh.

"We need to get King Kuei out of there. Most of the Dai Li will be busy taking out the generals and larger officials along with the counsel that will leave us just Mai, Ty Lee and Azula to deal with." I stated running my finger around the crude drawing of the palace.

"But then what? If we do defeat them where will we go? None of us will be able to get out of Ba Sing Se."

"We just need to get out of the palace," I explained, "Once we are out. we can head down. The others should hopefully be coming towards us, we'll need a signal. A large bolt of fire would do if we see Appa. That should attract their attention. Then we get on Appa and get out of there."

"Your plan is quite vague, are you sure that it will work?" I shook my head at Iroh's wizened voice.

"No I'm not. But it is the best we have. I've heard it said somewhere that no plan survives after engaging the enemy. The less plan the more leeway we have for changing it."

"And the more that can go wrong." Iroh warned, "What you said is true but a stricter plan allows for everyone to know what is supposed to happen." I sighed but nodded. I was scared out of my wits and I didn't know as much strategy as Iroh did. While Iroh corrected my plan, building up a distinct strategy I allowed my mind to wander, my eyes flicking over to Zuko. He was thoroughly involved in his uncle's planning but when compared to the Zuko from the original timeline I liked this one much better. He thought more, was more well rounded, he was happier too and less confused. Could I have created that change? Was it my doing that had made him a happier, better person? I smiled. No, I may have pushed but it was Zuko himself who did the rest.

"I read that scroll." I jerked and looked at him in surprise. Iroh and Katara fell silent to watch the conversation.

"That's good... did you like it?"

He nodded, "It was helpful." I smiled.

"Good." Katara's eyes lit up and she grinned. I shook my head. I wasn't even going to ask about what she was thinking. Iroh coughed another strange look in his eyes, he looked almost... smug. I was clearly missing something but I could ask about it later. Right now we needed to focus on getting the king out of the palace.

* * *

The four of us tore through the palace, I was breathing heavily. Apparently a week unconscious is a good way to loose muscle tone. The sad thing was that I was still probably twice as fit as I had been when back home. The palace was completely empty and we made our way to the throne room. As expected there was Mai and Ty Lee. We didn't do anything the four of us. Just stood there as Ty Lee and Mai moved into position.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" King Kuei asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between the four of us and the two 'Kyoshi warriors'

"Those girls are imposters." I snarled pointing at Ty Lee who just grinned.

"What!" As if that was their cue both Ty Lee and Mai sprung into action. I darted away, while Iroh and Zuko took on Ty Lee and Katara went after Mai. It was my job to get the king in and out. I grabbed his hand and practically threw him off the dais.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." A knife sailed towards my head but I stopped it with a slash of a fan.

"Sounds good."

"I don't think so." A voice said, stepping out from behind a curtain. Luckily I was planning for that. I didn't need to say a word. Katara flew past me in a flurry of movement and engaged Azula while Zuko distracted Mai. I noticed Mai fumble slightly out of the corner of my eye. She still had feelings for him I realized. Wincing slightly I drag the king out of the throne room. I was a little put out about not being included in the battling but both Iroh and Katara had a good point. Someone had to get the king out of there and I unfortunately, was not up to standard.

"Where are we going?" Kuei asked as I continued to drag him through the palace.

"Out. Unless you want to end up in a jail cell." To my shock when he spoke it wasn't to me.

"Good Basco, I knew you would come, good boy." I spun. As expected the bear was following us at a slow lumber. Twitching in frustration I went to grab Kuei when he stopped me.

"We can ride Basco." I eyed the bear suspiciously but nodded and clambered on behind the king. Basco roared and suddenly jumped into a full run. I shrieked in shock and fear as he pelted through the palace. With the two of us on his back Basco was running close to the same speed we had been before. Except when we had been running there was less danger of falling off. That was it, I was never riding a bear again, I didn't care what sort either.

Basco kept running until he was outside the palace and there he stopped. I slid off, as did the king.

"Come on, we need to keep moving." Kuei nodded and we started out. We had barely walked a quarter of a block before Katara, Zuko and Iroh came tearing out of the palace after us.

"Everything okay?" I asked as I picked up speed to keep pace with Katara. She nodded.

"Ty Lee was injured, Mai stayed behind and Azula isn't going anywhere for a few minutes."

"Good."

"What are we going to do if the others don't come?"

"Fly by the seat of our pants." I replied, earning a strange look from those around me.

"Oh shut up its a saying where I come from." We fell silent. The running was hard work and after a little we had to put the king back on Basco. Neither of them were fit, at all.

We had just made it into the middle ring when Kuei saw Appa. I laughed delightedly as two giant pillars of fire shot into the sky, alerting the bison and turning the entire street around us into a panicked mob. We waited, eyes still on the look out for danger while everyone else on the street vanished into their houses or into one of the other rings. Appa landed with a heavy thump and promptly covered me and Katara in saliva from a giant bison kiss. Aang jumped off Appa's head, Toph was sitting on the saddle, watching.

"What's going on?"

"Azula has staged a coup we got the the king out." I explained, as Katara shooed both Basco and Kuei up Appa's tail and onto the saddle. It was strange to notice that Basco only took up as much space as Sokka normally would.

"Where's Sokka?"

"Still with the water tribe warriors. I didn't realize anything was wrong until I saw the fire."

"You mastered the avatar state?" Aang nodded before sending Katara a look not dissimilar to that of a kicked puppy.

"We can chat later." Zuko insisted. "We've got company." Turning I saw several dozen Dai Li agents come flying down the hill towards us.

" I got this." Toph shouted, jumping off Appa as Katara climbed on. She took a bending stance, Aang to her left and Zuko her right. Iroh and I looked at each other.

"I'm getting on Appa only if you are." I told him plainly. Iroh laughed but his eyes strayed to Zuko.

"He'll be fine." I told the old man, noticing how his hair had become a paler shade of grey and how he was going bald. Iroh nodded and clambered up Appa. I followed right behind. The three standing in front of Appa began to back up and tore off. The Dai Li were very close, firing large rocks at us. Aang tore through one while Toph shot the rest to the ground. Aang shot to Appa's head and Toph was halfway up his tail when the bison took off. There was a cry as Zuko desperately clung to the end of Appa's tail. Toph and I both reached down, dragging the fire nation prince onto the saddle.

As we flew away I looked at Aang.

"We need to pick up Sokka." I stated firmly. Everyone nodded and Aang steered Appa towards Chameleon Bay.

* * *

_Sokka_

I was woken by the alarm going off. Shooting awake I grabbed my boomerang and shot out of the tent that I was sharing with two other men. The men stood, waiting. Just outside our boarders a man appeared. He was a few years older then me and clearly of earth kingdom origin. He raised his hands up in the air.

"My name is Su Sen, I am looking for Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

* * *

A/N: Once again I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender.


	41. Battalion

Chapter 41

Battalion

_Sokka_

I was woken by the sound of the alarm. Shooting awake I grabbed my boomerang and shot out of the tent that I was sharing with two other men. The men stood, waiting. Just outside our boarders a man appeared. He was a few years older then me and clearly of earth kingdom origin. He raised his hands up in the air.

"My name is Su Sen, I am looking for Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

The man was lucky that I was there, otherwise he would have been impaled.

"That's not a bad thing. I'm friends with Zuko." That stopped the other warriors and I stepped forward.

"My name is Sokka-"

"Prince of the water tribe, I know if Zuko is not here may I talk to Maddison? Girl of all four nations and spirit walker?" I pinched the bridge of my nose, something Maddi did often.

"I'm the only one here right now. The rest are in Ba Sing Se." Su Sen nodded.

"My men and I have travelled far, may we rest here?"

"I'll have to ask my father but unless he says no I don't see a problem."

I found myself gapping at the sheer number of people who had flocked to this man's call. There were enough to triple the size of the current army. It was a true battalion like the ones that belonged in the earth king's army. We were outnumbered and I could tell that the other Warriors were becoming uncomfortable by the amount of soldiers who were claiming allegiance to the fire nation.

"Sokka, can I talk to you." I turned. My father was standing behind me along with his council. I nodded and the eight of us disappeared into the war tent.

"What is this 'Prince Zuko's' position on the war and how are you two friends? Bato told me that he actively attacked you and your friends, destroying a nunnery in the process." I grimaced, I hadn't expected that tale to be passed on to my father. And now the counsel knew. Just great.

"Zuko's… complicated. He's had a rough time of things but he does not support his father. He's more of a neutral force currently, I don't think he's decided yet whether he wants to join the fight or remain neutral. Either way he is not our enemy."

"How complicated can he be? He attacked you and your sister along with your friends."

"He also saved Aang's life, helped us fight off his psycho sister, and he never really hurt us in the first place. He was more of an inconvenience then an enemy." I shrugged, "Besides, Pala trusted him and saw good in him. That's enough for me."

"Why does this Pala's opinion hold so much sway? You told us that she was a earth kingdom girl washed ashore." I paled. I wasn't going to tell Pala's secrets to people who were strangers to her. I wasn't going to betray her.

"I can't tell you, it's up to Palartok to decide. It's her secret." One of the council, an old man with a pinched face named Tikaani shot an angry glare at me. He was the eldest in the counsel and was older then gran-gran. Because of his age he carried quite a bit of weight and influence. It wouldn't be such a problem if he had an open mind. Unfortunately he was like a dog with a bone, once he decided something only the tribe leader could talk him down. I understood that as he was an elder I should respect him but he was quick to judge and quicker to accuse. He also never accepted that he could be wrong.

"Your loyalty should be to your tribe not some foreigner girl."

"She is part of the tribe, she accepted the name and if my father agrees I would like to officially claim her as my sister." Tikaani's face changed from red to white. His mouth snapped shut and he didn't say another word.

"That is beyond the point now. Let the men stay for the night, one night only, then travel where they will. I see no harm in it." The council nodded at my father's decision. As chief his word was final.

There was a shout and one of the men I shared a tent with ran in.

"The avatar has returned with several strangers and is demanding to speak to both Sokka and chief Hakotda." I shot up, grinning and tore out of the tent.

In the centre of the camp was Appa. It was still dark out and the firelights flickering turned my friends into strange shadows but I knew it was them.

"Katara?" There was a shriek and one of the shapes turned, hairloopies, my sister. She tore forward, almost knocking me off my feet as she hugged me.

"I missed you. I was so worried when I saw how large the camp was that... that something had happened."

"Um, thanks sis." I muttered patting her on the back until she backed off. I looked away and counted the people. There was more then there should have been.

"What happened?"

"We lost Ba Sing Se." I jumped. Aang had joined Katara and I while we had been talking and was watching the others interact.

"We lost Ba Sing Se, but we saved the king and Zuko and his uncle joined us too." I blinked then grinned. Good timing. I scanned the shapes unloading Appa. There, a flash of a green dress and a person who stood taller then the others. That must be Maddi as King Kuei was taller then her. Then the person's hand caught on fire. I shrieked as the light revealed a red scar. Zuko.

"So who are your guests Sokka?" Aang asked, sending me a strange look for the noise I had made.

"His name is Su-Sen he and his battalion are looking for Zuko."

* * *

_Maddi_

I sighed, brushing my bangs from my face I slid down Appa's back. The fire in Zuko's hand flickered gently in the sea breeze as he talked to his uncle.

"Everything alright here?

"Yes. Uncle and I were talking." I nodded and was about to step away when Iroh spoke up.

"I wish to thank you for going out of your way to warn us, not everyone would have done that." I chuckled.

"Thank you but anyone who knows what I know would have done the same." Zuko shot me a strange look, his face crunching up in thought. I felt a pine of cold run through me. Now that they were here... I would have to tell them. Was it stupid to be scared of their reaction? I had already been through it with my friends and Katara had essentially disowned me for a month. These people weren't my closest companions, they hadn't been through as much as our group. Still I didn't have the monopoly on my knowledge. I had no right to keep it from these people, not when it could give them an advantage in this war. I grit my teeth.

"Zuko, Iroh there's something I-"

"Prince Zuko! I need to speak to Prince Zuko." I jerked away in shock, spinning to find myself face to face with a man a year or two older then me.

"Who are you?" Zuko and I asked in sync. We blinked at each other then uncomfortably stepped away. For the first time I noticed that the fire in Zuko's palm had gone out.

"My name is Su Sen, can I assume that you are Prince Zuko of the fire nation and Maddison, girl of all nations?" I gaped in shock while Zuko nodded, a crease forming between his eyes as he thought.

"I'm Zuko... I'm sorry but your name sounds familiar do we know each other?" Su Sen smiled.

"Not personally but you know my little brother Lee." I gasped, my mind jumping to that little boy that Zuko had met. He had a brother, one who was such a minor character that his name was mentioned only twice. Now that character who I had only known as a name that lay mostly unremembered in the back of my mind was here in front of us, looking for Zuko and me.

"You're Lee's older brother?" Zuko asked while I continued to watch, suddenly ashamed. I had just written this young man off for dead after watching that episode. I hadn't thought anything of him beyond that. Now here he was, a possible ally and I had written him off. Great job Maddi, great job.

"Yes, he told me a lot about you and I... I was hoping that I could join in the rebellion against your father, as I traveled I ended up picking up a few men here and there who wanted to join as well."

"I'd say it was more then a few." Iroh chuckled as he glanced around. Su Sen shrugged.

"It was their idea to come, I never forced them. Every one of these men are willing to put their life on the line to stop this war once and for all. I think all of us would like to never see another war in our lifetimes."

"I think we can all agree on that." I stated, finally regaining my tongue.

"Well I think it is time for an old man like me to retire, I recommend you three do the same. We can converse on what needs to be done when we are all well rested." I laughed as Iroh stood up and walked away. He was right. Of course he was right, this was Iroh after all.

"I think I shall do the same. Goodnight Zuko, Su sen. It was an honour to meet you."

* * *

_Zuko_

I woke the next morning in a small tent that had been lent to uncle and I by one of the other men here. It was small and plain but it was more then I had been used to for several months now and I was able to fully appreciate it. Uncle snored loudly beside me before snorting and rolling over. Sighing I stood, pulled on my clothes and headed outside.

The sunlight streamed down against the cool air. Being so close to the sea left a salt filled biting cold in the area. It too was something I was used to from all my time traveling on the ocean I decided if I could find my way to someplace where there would be breakfast when a man ran up, panting slightly from exertion.

"Prince Zuko, I'm sorry to bother you but the members of the tribe have called a meeting and it was requested that you and your uncle participate. I was told to let you know that it starts at noon and to make sure you are at the main tent by then. If you need to I can meet you here and escort you." Sighing the man flopped onto the ground and then looked up.

"By the way if you see Maddison, Palartok, whatever you call her can you tell her for me? She was supposed to be with the ladies Toph and Katara but she apparently vanished earlier today. I've been running all over the camp trying to find her." I blinked in surprise but nodded, glancing into the sky I realized that it was still five hours until noon. I had slept in. Sighing I thanked the messenger who tiredly stood, muttered something about taking a break, and wandered away. Turning back I walked back into the tent and shook my uncle's shoulder.

"Uncle, you need to wake up." He groaned and flapped at my hand. A small smile crept onto my face. I really loved my uncle but sometimes he was just entirely to frustrating.

"Uncle there is a council at noon, we have been requested to join. I will be back before it starts, I hope you won't still be asleep by then." Still smiling I left the tent. I knew my uncle had probably heard that and was aware of its meaning. Deciding to go find that breakfast I had wanted earlier I wandered through the camp. After several minutes of walking I noticed a group of men, not all watertribe, and one woman. Maddison.

"May I join you?" Room was quickly made for me and I sat down beside Maddison, who glanced at me then took another bit of her fish.

"I was told to tell you-"

"I know." I looked at her in surprise before nodding. I really shouldn't have been so surprised. She looked up at me and broke off a section of her fish.

"Here, I bet you're hungry."

"Thank you." The fish was well cooked and tasted of something sweet, a flavour I couldn't quite remember that tickled at the edges of my mind. We shared the fish in silence as the other men conversed and laughed around us.

"So why are you here?"

"I'm trying to pretend that I don't have anywhere to go in a few hours. That and because I'm so bad at keeping track of time I have a legitimate excuse if I'm late. Unfortunately it's really hard to say that about noon, its the only time that I can always tell." I frowned but didn't say anything. Instead letting her talk at me.

"This meeting is about me you know." That was a surprise. I looked up at her. She was staring down at her fish, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I mean you all have a right to know my secrets but the first time I told my friends Katara practically disowned me for a month. These people? Most of them are strangers, I only really know you and Iroh beyond those who already know my secret and my story is just so unbelievable..." she trailed off and glanced at me apologetically.

"Hey, I'm sorry, here I am spilling all my troubles to you without asking how you are doing. So what's going on with you?" I took a bite of the fish she had given to me, chewed and swallowed, giving myself time to think. While I thought I looked Maddi over. I had been unable to get her out of my head since the first time she spoke to me and as aggravating that snowball had been when we had first met it didn't change the effect she had on me. Maddi wasn't beautiful like the women in the fire nation, she wasn't pale and regal with a defined face but she had her own style of beauty, one that I had never thought of before. The only thing similar between the two was height. Maddi was tall, standing at the same height as me. Her face was round and soft and while she did at times have an air of aristocracy she seemed to be able to use it when she wanted instead of carrying it with her at all times. Maddi's skin was also darker than any firenation woman's although it was lightening up, leaving an explosion of small brown spots on her face. I had never seen spots like that before.

"What are those?" She frowned in confusion.

"What are what?"

"Those dots on your face." She looked shocked for a minute and brushed her hand against it suddenly her face lit up as if she suddenly remembered. Then she laughed.

"I guess my freckles are more obvious now that my 'tan' is fading. They're just freckles, sun kisses, I guess you wouldn't know about them, most people here don't have them." Sun kisses? I wondered looking at the small spots, like a blessing from the sun spirit? It was a fascinating concept and I wanted to ask about them further but she glanced up into the sky and sighed.

"What time is it now?" I glanced up as well.

"We still have two hours."

"Good." We lapsed into silence.

"So what are sun kisses exactly?" She laughed brightly, catching the attention of the other men there. I felt a spike of something uncomfortable in my gut at their attention. I pushed it away as she answered my question.

"Where I come from there are some people who are born with red hair, my mother was one of them. I wasn't lucky enough to get her beautiful hair but I did get her freckles, its something that only redheads or people related to redheads get." I nodded. Red heads, people with red hair I had never heard of something like that before. I was beginning to suspect that Maddi was born a great deal farther away then I had thought.

"Oh hello." The both of us looked up as several of the men around us stood up. It was a vaguely familiar man who stood before us. Narrowed my eyes, trying to place the face when Maddi stood.

"Su Sen, I'm surprised what brings you here?"

"You do actually, your friend Katara is going crazy searching for you. Apparently you didn't tell her where you were going?" Maddi blushed slightly while at the same time she looked annoyed.

"Yeah... I'll go and talk to her. Thank you."

"Let me come with you." Maddi looked surprised before smiling.

"Well I don't see a problem with-"

"I'll come too." I stated, standing and taking a spot beside her. Maddi looked surprised her eyes flicking between me and Su Sen. I could see that she was confused and trying to figure out why I was acting this way. I didn't know myself just that when Su Sen mentioned walking with her alone something in my stomach twisted painfully.

* * *

_Maddi_

Zuko was acting strange. He was jumpy, sending strange looks at Su Sen and then almost recoiling every time Su Sen looked at him. What was going on with him? On Su Sen's part he was pretending not to notice but there was a knowing look in his eyes and he kept having to hide his smile.

"Pala! Why did you vanish like that." Katara cried, running towards me from her father's tent.

"I just went to grab something to eat, its no big deal." I quickly deflected, eyes flashing towards the tent. Crap, the entire group was there.

"Please don't tell me," I muttered, "that we moved up the time of the council." The guilty smile in Katara's face told me everything.

"Great." I muttered sarcastically, my hand straying to the cord around my neck as I began to fiddle with it. It was a nervous habit that I had started a little while ago and I couldn't seem to stop it.

I let the introductions wash over me, not particularly paying attention as we walked into the tent and took our seats.

"I believe the first matter of business is what we are going to do next." Chief Hakoda started only to be cut off by an old man.

"No offence chief Hakoda but I would like to hear where the girl Maddison plays into this before we start talking strategy." I felt my stomach curdle at the words. I did not like where this was going.

* * *

A/N: Sorry I guess this is a little shorter then I expected. Anyway this chapter mostly involved character development, some hints at a romance and other things that are coming up later.

Princess Kassie Out.


	42. Birth of the Rebellion

Chapter 42

Birth of the Rebellion

_I let the introductions wash over me, not particularly paying attention as we walked into the animal skin tent and took our seats._

"_I believe that the first matter business is what we are going to do next." Chief Hakoda started only to be cut off by an old man._

"_No offence chief Hakoda but I would like to hear where the girl Maddison plays into this before we start talking strategy." I felt my stomach curdle at the words. I did not like where this was going_

* * *

_Maddi_

I took a deep breath, everyone was staring at me. I had hoped to put this off for last but apparently this man's curiosity was not going to wait.

"I see no issue with that. Palartok? Would you care to tell us how you play into this, why do my children trust you so much that they are willing to keep your secrets from even their own father?" I decided not to mention that Katara wasn't exactly happy with her father, now that she knew that he was both alive and unharmed she felt relaxed enough to hold a grudge over him leaving. That meant it was probably Sokka he had questioned. I smiled at Sokka who nodded before I turned to the rest of the group. Mentally I made a list of the people there. There was Toph, Aang, Katara, Sokka and I sitting to the left side of the 'door'. Chief Hakoda and his six counsel members sat at the head which left Su Sen, Iroh and Zuko to take the right across from us. I bit my lip before sighing. I didn't want to talk about this but it had to be done.

"I'm not sure where to start." I admitted.

"How about at the beginning," the old man snapped. I shot a glare at him. It was clear that the two of us were not going to get along.

"Peace Tikaani," Hakoda warned before turning back to me, "please continue."

"If it were that easy I wouldn't be having problems," I bit out before pinching the bridge of my nose and continuing.

"This story... is complicated. It involves spirits and races thought to have been extinct, batting with oneself and... quite a lot of fear. I need you all to agree that you won't interrupt me while I'm telling my story." There was silence.

"I agree as does my counsel." Chief Hakoda decided.

"We agree." Iroh echoed.

"I agree." Su Sen finished. I nodded and began my tale.

"Well, it all started with an earthquake..."

As my story unfolded I watched the reactions of the people watching. Sokka and Katara's father seemed shocked beyond words as did many on his counsel. The one that didn't looked shocked was Tikaani and he seemed just determined to hate me for some bizarre reason. I hadn't even met the man before today so what was his problem? Iroh watched and listened impassively, only his eyes giving off the rare emotion. Su Sen and Zuko were both open books. Su Sen's mouth dropped open several times and he leaned forward in his seat as if he swore he couldn't have heard me right. Zuko's eyes kept widening in shock and he too didn't seem to know what to make of the tale. Even my traveling companions who had been with me since the very beginning sat quietly in contemplation. Toph was the only one comfortable enough to make the occasional sound, usually a snort or a laugh, depending on the situation.

"On the winter solstice, after calming down Hei-Bei we headed to the temple on crescent island in the fire nation so that Aang could communicate with his previous incarnation, Avatar Roku. When we got inside we managed to trick the fire sages into opening the door for us with Sokka's ingenious plan." Sokka blushed deeply at the compliment while his father raised an eyebrow, interested.

"Anyway," I continued with a small smile, "After the doors to the sanctuary shut with only Aang inside I collapsed, at least that is what it looked like to everyone but for me I was dragged into the spirit world by Agni." Toph whistled at my words causing me to chuckle lightly.

"I was approached by the five deities of the four nations, Agni for fire, Prithvi for earth, Tui and La for water and of course, and Lung for Air. They told me that if I wanted one of them would give me the ability to bend. The thing is spirits have this nasty tendency to hold a grudge against someone who excludes them so I chose to be literate because the sprit who brought me here for some reason didn't think it was important. I think Agni was really appreciative of my choice though because for some bizarre reason I can read both common tongue and fire nation."

"Wait, you could actually read that scroll?" I blinked up at Zuko in confusion.

"I thought you could too? Why is that so weird?" I questioned, not even annoyed at the interruption. The genuine shock in the eyes of Zuko and Iroh was enough to make me worry.

"Because it wasn't written in common fire tongue, it was written in the language of the sages, in other words only sages and the royal family know that language anymore."

"But that's not possible, he was a commoner."

"A commoner who was being recruited for the sages." I stared at him.

"Okay I need this to be explained because I clearly missed some major points when reading that scroll." Everyone else besides the two fire nation royalty and myself looked totally lost. My heart was racing, I couldn't focus on anyone right now.

"It was a code, an advanced one too." Iroh explained easily, "telling about the war, including major political decisions from the perspective of a fire sage."

"Are you telling me that we have a document on the war? Tactics and so forth?"

"An outdated one, it hasn't been updated in at least ten years but it is fascinating that Maddison could read it. It is not surprising you did not discover the code, I only knew to look for it because I was trained by the fire sages as a boy, all fire nation royalty are." I nodded. I really wanted to know what the code was and how it worked, if Zuko and Iroh would permit I was going to ask for it back to decode. Of course, if Iroh would help me I would appreciate it, I wasn't sure for what to look for.

"May we please get back to the topic at hand." The old man, Tikaani grumbled. I sighed and continued, making sure to cover every spirit encounter and place of divergence that I could remember. While I told the story I thought on my ability to read fire nation. I had thought it was the fire common tongue, it hadn't fully occurred to me that the fire nation may have two native languages. Possibly more, I added while watching Zuko, after all they are based on the Japanese.

"Anyway, that leads us here. That's all I know."

"But there are parts missing," another water tribe man, this one I didn't remember the name of at all, stated, face scrunching, deep in thought. Zuko sighed.

"The other 'changes', the missing parts were caused by me. Maddison didn't realize how much she effected me when she talked to me on Kyoshi island." He looked at me and then told us his story. I found myself gaping at the changes that had occurred because of him, including from the looks of it Su Sen's arrival.

"That's amazing, in the original timeline Lee rejected you, he wouldn't even look at you after you showed you were a firebender."

"He probably wouldn't have if I hadn't been so... vocal about my opinions on Sozin, opinions that you influenced."

"Well now that we know the changes, Maddison would you care to tell us what is supposed to happen. Anything that can help us figure out a strong strategy against the fire nation," chief Hakoda leaned forward, his fingers forming a steeple, blue eyes fixed on me. I sighed and pulled myself to my full height.

"I think the only things that are still going to be stable are actions already taken. In which case the fire nation knows to expect an attack on the Day of Black Sun and that there are two bunkers where the fire lord will hide, the first is a trick to catch the attention of the raiders where Azula and the Dai Li will most likely be waiting and the second is where the Fire Lord will be hidden. I don't know the exact locations of either." I admitted. Tikaani snorted while everyone else turned to look at Zuko and Iroh.

"The fire nation knows of our plans! How is there a traitor in our midst?" Tikaani snarled, shooting upright.

"No," I replied coolly, "King Kuei accidentally revealed the plans to Princess Azula when she was masquerading as Suki," everyone looked shocked so I sighed, "How do you think she took over the city? I just hope that she didn't actually capture Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors, they did in the original timeline." There was a small gasp from my friends. I looked away in shame. There was nothing we could have done to save Suki, I just hoped that everything would turn out alright. Iroh coughed lightly to attract our attention.

"I will do the best to share my knowledge, however I'm afraid that I am only aware of one bunker," Iroh admitted, "Although it would be like my brother to create a second and use the first as a diversion."

* * *

_Toph_

I walked out of the tent hours later, frustrated and confused. I hadn't understood most of what everyone was talking about. Except hearing about Maddi's 'exploits' that had been interesting. The tactics had been boring so I had ignored them for the most part. Around me I could tell the camp was busy. I definitely needed to work on my sand bending, it was still slightly out of focus.

"Hey, you're Toph right?" I turned, I had noticed the footsteps behind me of course but I had been focusing on my long range so hadn't paid him much mind.

"The one and only, what'd you want?" I crossed my arms slouching to one side. Now that I was focused on him I could feel his weight shift through the sand. Judging from the weight and how he stood he was about the same size and weight as Zuko.

"I'm Su Sen, we met in the council, I was wondering if I could ask you a few things."

"About what?" I retorted, a single eyebrow raising in interest.

"Do you know how to fight?" I stood straight up, sucking in a breath to pull myself to full height.

"Of course I can, I am the best earthbender ever, I can even metal bend." He whistled in appreciation of my skills before continuing.

"Actually I was meaning more along the lines of a weapon." I furrowed my brow in surprise.

"Why would I need to? I'm an earthbender. I can just crush someone with my rocks and they're gone." He hummed but said nothing. I shrugged and was about to go when he called.

"If you don't want to can I interest in a drink and meal instead?" I grinned, my smile quirking at one corner, I wasn't going to turn down someone spending money on me.

"Lead the way."

* * *

_Maddi_

I wandered through the camp, my heart sinking with every new scene. Men preparing for war, preparing to die. I knew that we would be leaving the safe cove soon, bringing ourselves out in the open for attack, and it terrified me. This was my fault, what would have happened if I hadn't changed anything? Would the war have continued as it was supposed to?

A faint whisper of a tune caught my attention, curious I turned and followed the noise. Not everyone was preparing for war. The tune changed slightly as I rounded a corner. A dozen men sat around a fire, laughing and drinking and singing. They were off tune but not one cared, it reminded me of the old campfire songs that I used to sing as a child. Except of course for the... interesting content.

_Tinker! Oh, dear Tinker, won't you mend a pot for me?_

_Tinker asks the mistress don't you got a labor man?_

"_Yes but," she replied, "he lacks your talent and your hands_

_And I can tell you got the skill to hit the spot you see"_

_So Tinker oh dear Tinker, won't you mend a pot for me _

I snorted at some of the ruckus laughing going around the fire. I had a feeling I knew what 'mend a pot for me' actually meant. Judging by the looks on the men's faces they were throughly enjoying it.

_Tinker said the neighbour boy can probably get it done_

"_He's far to inexperienced I never go that young_

_I'm sure he can be broken in or taught but he's too sweet"_

_So Tinker oh dear Tinker, won't you mend a pot for me?_

I froze when my eyes fixed on a smaller figure laughing and drinking with the men.

"Toph!" The circle went silent. In unison the men turned, all with faces that reminded me of a child with a hand in the cookie jar. Complete guilt.

"Maddi?" Toph asked, placing her feet back on the ground, she had been swinging them in excitement so hadn't noticed me. Beside her Su-Sen stood, looking particularly guilty.

"What's going on here?" I asked, looking around.

"We were just having fun." Toph stated looking at me angrily. My eyes flicked between the grown men, the petulant Toph and the beer. I began to laugh. I couldn't help it, the song, the embarrassed expressions, Toph's anger. After I regained my breath I walked over and sat myself on one of the logs that the men had been using.

"Can I learn that song too or is it only for men?" Toph blinked then grinned and sat down. I laughed as I heard all the lyrics to the song. I was right, the 'mend a pot' was an innuendo, one that was ruined on the second to last verse where 'the bed was broken'. Honestly. The men at first had been wary of teaching me the lyrics to the song, probably afraid I would tell the royalty here. I wouldn't of course but they didn't need to know that. For a few minutes I was able to forget. Forget the war, forget what might happen, forget the danger. I understood why the men participated in such activities, it was an easy way to push the fear behind them. For me it was guilt.

"So what are you planning to do now that you are involved in this rebellion?" I blinked and looked over. I had been so focused on the others that I had ignored everything else going on around me.

"Fight, help the troops I guess," I shrugged, "What else is there to do?

"There's a lot that goes on in an army, there are the leaders, those who give the orders; the commanders, those who give more orders and fight as well; there are the moral, the ones who keep the men fighting for the cause and not desert; there are the soldiers themselves, those who take orders and die; there are the healers, the cooks, the animal handlers, who do not fight but play an important role as well."

"You know your way around an army, this isn't your first time." It wasn't a question, he knew that just as much as I did.

"Yes." We were silent for a few moments. The men and Toph began another song.

"I'm a soldier but here I am also a leader, maybe a commander. What are you?" He asked me after a few moments. I sighed and pulled out my necklace.

"I don't know. I'll be a soldier, everyone here is going to have to fight I know that, I don't... I don't know what else I'll be." I bit my lip as I played with the thin medallion.

"It is yours to decide," Su Sen stated firmly, "but it is also theirs, the army needs all those roles to function correctly."

"Are you scared?" I asked. I winced mentally screaming at myself for showing my fears, I needed to be strong for my friends. I had to be strong and brave and fearless. But I didn't want anyone to die, least of all myself. It was a selfish thought but I still wanted to live. It was ironic, when I had first come to this world I hadn't cared, then for a short time I wanted to die. Now that death could be approaching I wanted to live. Su Sen snorted.

"Of course I'm scared. I'd be a fool not to be but I can't show my fear, these men rely upon me it is for them that I am brave."

A gong rang, telling us that we finished packing or be left behind. I watched quietly as Su Sen stood, calling to the men to clean up. In moments the fire was doused and the men vanished to their respective jobs. I walked away. While I had been allowing myself to forget the camp had been cleaned up. It had practically vanished before my eyes and now was being loaded up onto the water tribe ships. I joined a group of men who were loading the items onto the ships, noticing that everyone was helping. Around me the faces were serious, concentrated on their work, their way of distracting themselves from what was going on in the world around them.

"Pala! Pala I need to talk to you," I turned at Katara's voice, placing down one of the boxes I had been carrying.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the water tribe girl. Katara's eyes flicked down to my necklace, still hanging over my shirt.

"We're trying to figure out somethings," she admitted, beginning to walk away. I quickly followed as she continued, "such as who is going to be the healers, I've done a head count, we only have seven people including me who are capable and have had the training to be healers." She paused then admitted, "Sokka's worried. We don't have a lot of people for a full out attack on the fire nation if they're expecting us. We need more people."

"You need to find a way to recruit more people." She nodded.

"And to do that," Katara stated softly, looking out over the ocean, "we need a flag."

* * *

_Tinker in the Kitchen is a piece written by Robert Jordan for his series Wheel of Time. I do not own this song nor the additional lyrics written by Nick Masters. It is a really funny song though so look it up if you're interested. Anyway I'm sorry that this was so short, Friday night was grad for me (I am free! Yay!) and dry grad as well and I stayed up until 3 in the morning. That may not seem like very late for some people but I'm a severe introvert so spending that much time around people is really draining. Additionally I have never had much success staying up past 11, usually I'm unconscious by 12 so that late night was killer. Anyway the action is rising and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Apologies once again for taking so long._

_Princess Kassie Out._


	43. Coming of Age

Chapter 43

Coming of Age

_Azula_

I snarled in fury fire exploding from my fingers as I melted the ice around my legs. Damn that girl to the darkest pits of the spirit world. I hoped she would be forced to burn eternally. Taking a deep breath I sent a scathing look at my two companions, Ty Lee and Mai. Ty Lee was holding her leg, probably nothing more then a sprain. I turned to the door, it was ridiculous the amount of sheer ego this man had, two twelve foot tall gold and jade encrusted doors to lead to his throne room. Then again many people worshiped the one who sat in this seat as if he were a god. I reached the door and pushed. Nothing happened. I placed my hand against it and snarled. Cold, that water tribe peasant must have frozen it and as the door itself was made of wood she probably thought I wouldn't dare burn it. She was wrong. Fire exploded around me, ripping into the doors. I kept a steady stream of fire, ice making the flames flicker and splutter. Glaring, I sent more flame to the wood. Finally it caught on fire. I watched the doors burn slowly, frustration building. I knew they were getting away. Fine, perhaps they would escape but they would regret it before the day was out.

An hour and a half later the doors were destroyed into a pile of charred wood, metal and precious stone. Water dripped from the doorframe and pooled on the floor. I glared at the mess. A small group of servants stuck their heads around the corner as I strode past them.

"Clean up this mess." I barked before turning. A sneer curled my lip at Ty Lee's limping form behind me, Mai supporting the girl.

"Why don't you walk on your hands, it won't hurt as much," I suggested to Ty Lee. I saw the girl falter but I ignored her moment of weakness. Spinning on my heel I called for my Dai Li agents. I had something I had to do.

"You called princess," one of the leaders, a man called Yao asked. He was a handsome man, for a commoner.

"Yes, I want to make an announcement to the entire upper ring, then I want messengers to take the same announcement through the rest of Ba Sing Se. I suppose I can trust you to do that?"

"Of course princess," I nodded. No one moved. Snarling, anger flooded through my systems.

"Now!" They ran. My mouth quirked and I shook my head. They were all fools, peasants, and people still believed that they deserved to be treated well. They were little better than animals. Turning I once again entered the throne room. Mae and Ty Lee were standing there, Ty Lee on her hands like I had suggested, Mae looking bored. I smirked

"Come with me, we have some announcements to make."

* * *

Outside the sun was warm. Below me stood all the men and women from the upper ring, most looking like animals about to be lead to slaughter.

"My good people." I cried, catching the attention of those who had been conversing with others and dragging their attention to where I stood. Silence. Good.

"I am Princess Azula of the fire nation," there was an eruption of murmurings and fearful glances. I raised a single hand and they all fell silent.

"I regret to inform you that your king has abandoned you, running off with an enemy of the state, the avatar along with the traitors Zuko and Iroh of the fire nation. Those two traitors have been living hidden in your midst, going under the false names of Lee and Mushi." I scanned the crowd, noticing how some people were confused, some didn't care but others... others recognized the names I had said. I could see by the shock in their faces. I wasn't surprised, from what the Dai Li had told me my bumbling uncle had set up quite a reputation as one of the best tea makers in Ba Sing Se. Typical, fuddy duddy uncle making tea. It was the only thing he was good at really.

"Yes I know it is shocking to hear that your own kind betrayed you, left you for the fire nation to take but that is the most likely case. The other is that the avatar and his companions, including those two fire nation traitors kidnapped the king which makes them your enemies as well. Either choice it is yours to decide. Until the time when he returns I will keep this city safe from the likes of those traitors. You are dismissed." I turned briskly and exited, Mae and a limping Ty Lee following behind.

"Azula aren't you worried that some people were a little... too attached to your uncle, after all they were living here for over a month." Ty Lee asked, trying to catch up. I slowed my pace by a fraction, allowing kindness to my friend.

"I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to cause problems because of some old tea maker was a traitor. If anything they'll feel angry and betrayed by him for lying. Mae glanced over at Ty Lee and the limping girl sent an equally loaded look back. I pretended not to notice.

* * *

I inspected my nails, glancing at the red paint covering the sharp tips. I was distracted from my inspection by a slight cough. I looked up. One of the Dai Li agents, a man I had never bothered to learn the name of, was standing in the door looking at me. Neither Mae or Ty Lee were anywhere to be found.

"Yes." I asked sharply.

"Princess Commander Yao said to tell you... tell you that there was a small rebellion in the lower rings." I jerked upright and glared at the man.

"Do you mean to tell me that there was an attempted uprising?"

"Yes Princess, however it was quickly eradicated. Commander Yao just wanted to know if you wanted to deal with the ones who began it." I stood up.

"Yes. They thought to start an uprising? I'll make sure no one ever thinks of trying that again." I hissed. I noticed that the man was covered in a thin layer of sweat. He was scared of me, good.

Obviously they had already repaired for my answer as within minutes six people were escorted into my throne room. These were the ringleaders? Peasants, how pathetic. There were two adult men and a woman of the same age. A man a few years older then I and a girl. The first two men were very similar in appearance, brothers I assumed. The woman had brown hair and dark eyes. Her skin was dark from working in fields. The young man glared at me in determination, green eyes sharp. The girl also had dark skin, her hair pulled into braids.

"What are your names?" I asked softly. The girl quivered but the others remained strong. This girl was clearly the weak link.

"Nidhi and Ratna." The two men who looked similar stated. Twins perhaps? Rare for both to survive but apparently these two had.

"Ajala." The woman stated.

"Joh." The younger man stated coldly.

"Jin." The girl stated before speaking again.

"You're Lee's sister? No wonder he and Mushi left." I jerked. This girl knew my uncle and brother, personally from the sound of it.

"Their real names were Zuko and Iroh," I stated with a small smile, "and they were traitors."

"They _are_ good men." Jin snarled. Perhaps my first assessment was off, this girl was not as weak as she had appeared at first. Not that her strength would spare her.

"Please understand, the penalty for your crimes is a harsh one but I understand..." I trailed off and gently cupped the chin of the woman, Ajala, in my hand, "you have families to take care of so I am willing to let the others go free, if you will tell me who started the whole thing. Who came up with the idea to cause problems for the princess who was so kind as to decide to guide your city personally." They remained silent.

"Tell me who started this outbreak of violence and the others can go home to their families, those who refuse will die." A shudder passed through the group before me. No one said a word.

"What was the purpose of the rebellion? To cause trouble? Did you really believe that you could cause an uprising that-"

"LONG LIVE FIRE LORD ZUKO!" I jumped at the boy's scream. Joh, snarled, fighting against the Dai Li who held his hands behind his back.

"DOWN WITH OZAI!" I snarled at Joh's continued screaming. It was time someone screamed back.

"Fine! You've decided the fate of all those here. I will personally make an example of you all." I screamed back, my voice pitching into a shriek of anger. My cry made him fall silent. I turned coldly towards one of the Dai Li who was not holding the prisoners.

"Announce the deaths of the rebells, invite any who want to see it. Make sure every name is used, and if you can bring any relatives to watch. Make sure that everyone knows the price of disobeying." The man nodded and vanished. I turned back to Joh, my gold eyes meeting his wide green ones.

"Congratulations. You're going to have the honour of dying at the hands of a princess."

* * *

Toha stared at the huge platform. When he had heard that Joh was to be executed he had to come. Joh was his brother in arms, both of them had entered the city just before the coup from Princess Azula. They had agreed to be spies for Su Sen here. Now though, his brother was about to die. He grit his teeth head up as he met his brother's eyes. He would not cry or show weakness. He would let Su Sen know of the princesses cruelty. He would make sure that she was punished for her crimes, he didn't care that she was a girl of fourteen. This was an evil bitch, a demon in a girl's flesh.

"You are accused of crimes against the Fire Nation including rebellion, treachery, and spewing false propaganda! For these crimes I, Azula Princess of the Fire nation, sentence you to death." The girl seemed to be enjoying the pain she was causing. The families of those five stood beside him, crying. The princess was dressed regally and held herself with pride as she stalked closer to the innocents who were held there, feet stuck into the ground, hands pinned by the Dai Li gloves. Toha's mind whirled as he tried to figure out how this girl was going to kill them. A sword? Have her friend with the knives stab them one at a time? Use earthbending to drag them below ground and suffocate? He had heard that the princess could use lightning, perhaps she was going to electrocute them? A child screamed for his mother but the princess ignored it, still pacing up and down. She stopped in front of Joh.

"You shall die first." Fire erupted from her fingers, fire with no smoke. Toha stared and collapsed to the ground, sick. The screams from his brother rang in his ears as he literally burned to death.

"Who will die next?" The princess mocked, "Or who will give up the leader of this? Who will renounce my brother and the avatar. Neither of them are here to save you are they? You all will die unless you bow and promise fealty to me." Toha knew the answer, not one was going to give in. Even the seventeen year old girl on one end who was sobbing. She was scared but she would never renounce Zuko, the true Fire Lord. She would never renounce the Avatar. She would die, holding on to hope for a better day. Azula was not done. Turning she laughed, outright laughed over the dying screams of the burning man.

"I sent an army of two thousand men after your so called 'true fire lord', even as we speak they are marching towards them. Do you give in now? The avatar, Zuko, they will all be dead within the next day."

"Liar!" The girl screamed, trying to struggle towards the witch who planned to burn her alive, "they will not die!" Azula turned, her face cold.

"Maybe, maybe not. But you will."

* * *

_Sokka_

I had been talking with Zuko when the news came. There were two letters both of importance. My father had called a meeting. Zuko sighed causing me to laugh.

"I'm sure it's just information on how the war is going in other places, nothing to serious." Zuko shrugged.

"It could be, it could also be bad news." I frowned.

"You're in a foul mood today? What's got you so upset?" I questioned. Zuko and I had been spending a bit of time together. He was a good fighter and unlike many benders he had weapons that he used as well, a pair of duel swords. He was very, very good with them. Better then either Maddi or I at our weapons. It was a little hard to take until he explained to me that he had been learning the sword since he was four years old, much younger then I had begun my warrior training.

"I'm just thinking." He stated, closing the conversation. We were almost at the tent anyway. I noticed Zuko's eyes attach to one person before he dragged them away. Pala. Why was Zuko staring at her? The scarred prince vanished into the tent, leaving me to wonder if there was something going on between the two of them. Shaking my head I entered the tent, deciding to think about it later. The second I did I knew that this was not just any news. The tent was eerily silent.

"Is everything alright?" I questioned as I took my place beside my sister.

"Not really." Pala muttered, "We've got news from the North Pole, and Ba Sing Se." As usual my father started the meeting.

"Princess Yue recently contacted us. She is sending her own troops to help us win this battle." My heart soared. Yue was okay, this was great news, she was sending troops to help us too. That stopped me.

"So what is the problem?" I asked. To my surprise it was Su Sen who stood up.

"I have been contacted by one of my spies in Ba Sing Se, I told him only to contact us if there was an emergency." My elation faded away. Something was wrong then, the question was what.

"What does it say?" Katara asked, nervousness clouding her voice. My father was silent for a while.

"There was a small rebellion after Azula took control, people who my spies told about the revolution, people who knew Iroh and Zuko or your group," he looked at us, "personally." He sighed.

"Six people, including one of my men were caught and executed. Let these names be remembered in honour, Nidhi, Ratna, Ajala, Joh, and Jin." Zuko and Iroh both jumped. The eyes of everyone in the tent landed on them. They were not the only ones who looked stricken either. Pala's eyes were wide and filled with tears, a hand covered her mouth. Zuko stood and swept out of the tent, face closed off. The rest of us quietly fell into silence.

"I'm going after Zuko-" Pala began only to be cut off by Iroh.

"Let my nephew grieve in peace," he stated softly, "we have other matters to attend to here first." She nodded but didn't look entirely convinced. Everyone was quiet for a few moments.

"We need to finish the design for the flag," Pala shot up.

"Are you kidding me? You're so worried about a piece of cloth when six people were just murdered!"

"Sit down." Taanki barked. Pala fell back into position but she had a distinctive hue of grey on her skin.

"It is not that we do not care." My father stated calmly, "but there are other, more important matters. The people need a flag to flock to, one that represents what the fire nation fears and what we want." Pala glared at Taanki, bile in her eyes.

"Fine, then how about this." Angrily she ripped off her necklace and pressed it to the ground. I frowned as the markings created a likeness to the necklace itself. Then she drew around it, just five lines but it changed the entire meaning of the design. With that Maddi stood up and stalked out after Zuko leaving us with four elements inside an arrow.

* * *

_Zuko_

If I ever had the ability to forgive my sister it died with her outright murder.

"I'm sorry." I jerked, turning to see Maddi standing behind me. Her face was hallow, empty of the usual emotions that played across her face. Her 'sun kisses' were clear against her pale face as she sank down beside me and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry." I frowned as she kept repeating those words until they became a mantra, a prayer for forgiveness.

"There is nothing-" I began, placing a hand on her back. That was the wrong choice. She shot upright, fury burning in her eyes.

"There is nothing to say sorry about! Nothing! Really? Despite the fact that this entire fucking war is my fault! If I wasn't here this wouldn't be happening those six people wouldn't have died! Suki wouldn't have gotten hurt! All I seem to do is hurt everyone who isn't a main character! Any death is my fault!" This time I shot up, anger coursing through my veins.

"Your fault! Are you the one who started the war! Are you the one who just murdered six people! The cursed blood of Sozin runs in my veins not yours! All you have done is try to help people! You can't control the actions of others so stop beating yourself up about it. I was the one who hurt Suki, I was the one who started this entire rebellion by accident! You have nothing to be guilty about!" I stopped panting from the shouting. Maddi too stared at me, shocked at my bold statements. I noticed that she clutched something in one hand. Leaning over I tugged a snapped black cord and medallion out of her hands. I had seen it before, it was her necklace. The cord's clip was still intact the cord itself had given way right where the medallion hung. The weight of the medallion against the cord had worn it thin and it had snapped. Her eyes were directed at the necklace in my hands now as she realized what had happened to her necklace.

"Come on." I sighed, still holding the necklace. I looked back to make sure she was following me before heading off. A few minutes later we entered a low fabric tent with two reed mats for beds. Her eyes flicked around my tent in surprise.

"Why are we here?"

"I'm going to fix your necklace." I replied reaching into a small box looking for something that could replace the cord. I found a knife and something else. Smiling slightly I picked up the item, it would work well. I took her necklace carefully removing the clips and attaching them to the piece of fabric I had found.

"You can't be blamed for your family Zuko." She stated as I worked.

"You can't be blamed for the actions of other people." I countered lightly. There was a moment of silence.

"You may know the future but if its changed then you can't be held responsible for knowing it anymore." I slipped the medallion onto the fabric before turning to her.

"How about we both decide to forgive ourselves. After all you're not going to let me hold onto guilt and I'm not going to let you do that either." I paused. Her eyes were fixed on me, listening in rapt attention. I sighed and ran a single hand through my hair.

"I've... been unable to get you out of my mind since Kyoshi island you know that? At first it was annoying but now," I gave a guilty smile, "I don't know where I would be without your voice in my head."

"That sounds a little crazy," She replied, a wane smile crossing her features.

"A little?" I questioned causing her to laugh outright.

"Maddi, I..." I looked away, "I like you." The laughter stopped. I flushed and looked up. Her eyes weren't on my face. She was staring at the necklace I had revealed to her, wide eyed in shock at the red silk ribbon on which her necklace hung.


	44. Yes or No

Chapter 44

Yes or No

_Maddi_

I stared at the ribbon. I had spent weeks of memorizing every detail about my future daughter and there was no doubt in my mind that this was the same ribbon. My heart was racing, my mind running a mile a minute as I tried to grasp onto something stable. Zuko... he couldn't be the father, could he? Then again he had just said he liked me... right after discovering that Jin was dead. My brain seemed determined not to function, all the logic and common sense I relied upon vanished out from under me.

"How long were you and Jin in a relationship?" Mentally I was screaming at myself for those words, of all the questions I had running around in my mind that was the one to come out? Why was I getting all silly? I had been with men before, I wasn't even a virgin so why was Zuko's statement causing me to not think straight? Zuko seemed taken aback by my question. His hand closed into a fist over my necklace.

"I went out with her twice." He admitted. Twice wasn't so bad, I tried to console myself, but the fact was that she was dead and he had told me right after wasn't exactly stellar either. I honestly didn't know what to say, all words escaped me. I reached out, tugging my necklace from his grip.

"I... I need some time to think." I told him before fleeing.

* * *

_Sokka_

We stared at the design that Pala drew in the dirt in silence.

"It is a good design." Bato stated firmly, "It is what we are all fighting for. A world where all four nations are in unity along with the Avatar. What do you think Aang?" It was the first time Bato had addressed Aang. I glanced at my friend. Aang had developed so much over the time we had spent together. Now he gazed at the flag and nodded.

"Its the right design." He traced it with his finger. Each element, separate but surrounded by a circle of unity placed inside an arrow just like the one he had on his forehead.

"So be it," my father stated, his voice quiet but powerful, "this is our sigil."

* * *

_Maddi_

"Pala?" I looked up. Katara was standing in front of me. She had been quiet and I realized that I had not talked to her alone in three days.

"Hi, I'm sorry about running off like that." I explained walking up to her. She shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. It gave me an excuse to leave and work on my project." She replied with a small smile.

"Your... project?" I questioned. I hadn't been aware that Katara had found something to do here. I needed to talk to my friend, badly, I realized. She nodded her small smile growing.

"Yeah, I had Toph help out, she complained for a bit of course, mostly though she's been spending time with the soldiers, she's good at boosting moral whenever it gets low. Although I don't always approve of her methods." Katara admitted causing me to laugh. I had been so occupied by fear and guilt I had cut myself off from my friends. I wasn't going to do that again.

"How about you come with me, I could always use the extra hands. And I've discovered work is a good way to get something off your mind." I blinked and really looked at Katara. I hadn't realized she had grown so wise. She had really grown into herself. Looking closer I realized that she was wearing a much shorter dress then usual, this one only reached her knees and had no sleeves on it at all, and her hair had been secured into a single braid under her 'hair loopy bun'.

"Okay so what is this 'project' of yours." I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. Besides I needed something to do while I thought about what just had happened. Katara grinned, grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me away. We were no longer camped out at the beach and the camp had expanded. Earthbenders had changed the tents into stone huts and given the camp walls, despite that we could still be up and ready to go in less then fifteen minutes. The perks of having benders in our midst. Katara dragged me to one particularly large building. It was the largest building I had seen in camp. Katara didn't stop at the outside, instead rushing in. Inside the place was row upon row of cots. My stomach dropped. An infirmary. I knew that it wasn't the same but I had no good memories of hospitals, not that many people did, but I really didn't want to be around one. But I had asked and now I had to go through with this.

"This is my project. Yue is sending over twenty water tribe healers to work here along with her warriors. I wanted to help in my own way..." she gestured around her. We hadn't faced a battle yet but it was only a matter of time before we did and then these bed would be filled with injured and dying people. Katara excitedly dragged me around. I had to admit it was a very advanced hospital for the time period we were in, including an entirely separate section for the sick.

"Shouldn't you completely isolate the sick so that they don't cross contaminate? If someone gets I'll with a second illness they might not be able to fight off either and the illness might mutate into one superbug." I pointed out. Katara's eyes widened.

"Is that possible?" I nodded. It was completely possible to get two illnesses at the same time and superbugs did exist. I could almost see Katara making a mental note on that before she grabbed my wrist again to show me all her healing supplies. It was a huge room full of herbs, plants, pastes, liquids and various charms and talismans. I listened as the fourteen year old bustled about, telling me of what each did and how it worked. I wasn't the largest fan of talismans but I recognized it as part of their culture also I was in a world with bending a spirits who was I to comment on talismans?

Katara and I ended up chatting about healing techniques and she was very interested in the modern day concept of vaccines.

"What would you do if someone… someone said they liked you?" I heard myself ask suddenly. Turning Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Who said that?" She asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

"It's hypothetical," I replied quickly. Katara sent me a look as if asking me how stupid I thought she was but didn't push the question.

"There's no one good answer Maddi, each person reacts to something like that differently." I sighed, taking a seat on one of the cots at her response.

"I know… I've never been the best at relationships but I know that." I stated. Katara gave me a strange look.

"I thought you had relationships before."

"I did," I agreed, "but there is a difference between having relationships and being successful in relationships. The only relationship I did well at was with my previous boyfriend, Joe. Besides, we're heading towards war, how can I have a relationship? Let alone with someone who already is going to married to someone else." Katara blinked in shock at my words before speaking.

"You know that this person is going to get married?" She gaped. "Then why get involved at all?"

"Its complicated... the series never states that he is actually married to her but it is highly suggested and he has a kid and-"

"You're talking too far in the future. Just answer this. Does he marry another woman or not."

"It never directly says he married her." I finally agreed. Still images of Zuko and Mai flashed before my eyes.

"Then why couldn't he have married you?" I jerked in shock as Katara leaned back.

"The world has changed dramatically since you came here, who is to say that it didn't change the destiny of who marries whom?" Katara proposed. I bit my lip.

"You know for someone who claims that she can't rely on her future knowledge any more you still seem to be doing just that... a lot." I groaned at Katara's words. She was right but I wasn't ready to admit that. I wasn't ready to. A strange feeling stirred in my chest. I realized suddenly that I wanted to.

"Katara, you remember my daughter right?" The blue eyed waterbender nodded, confusion lining her brow.

"Of course, you told me about her... quite a lot actually." I chuckled at her words before with a sigh holding out the necklace.

"Zuko fixed it, he gave it the new ribbon..."

"And because of that you think he's your daughter's father?" Katara grimaced, "I thought I would get used to saying strange things like that... its still strange though." I laughed at her words.

"How do you think I felt? I mean I remember fawning over Zuko on the other side of the screen and cheering you guys on even though I knew that would happen and then suddenly, here I am on the opposite side, the side I never thought I would be on... And then I'm changing everything and dealing with matter so far above me... it's crazy." I sighed.

"I'm scared, Katara, I know I shouldn't rely on my knowledge anymore but... I can't help it. If I don't I won't be of use to anyone and I can't be useless and then-"

"You're rambling again." Katara laughed, poking me in the shoulder. I snapped my mouth closed and sighed.

"Its just confusing."

"Do it anyway." I blinked and glanced at Katara who gazed down on me, determined.

"Don't let what is supposed to happen guide you. You make your own decisions. If you want to get into a relationship that's your choice. No one else should tell you what to do."

"Katara?" I asked, smiling slightly at her words.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

* * *

_Iroh_

I walked up to Chief Hakoda. The man was staring out over the land. I allowed a small smile to cross my features. Looking for water. For him water would be a comfort, something familiar. Despite years of traveling over water it had never been something I had been able to feel at home at. At peace, yes, home never.

"Chieftain, may I speak with you?" The man turned and nodded, putting down the box he had been prying open.

"Of course General, what can I help you with?" The blue eyed man asked pleasantly. I sighed and sat down on one of the closed boxes.

"There is an old saying, it is impossible to defeat a united enemy that attacks from two places."

"I have a sense that this is more than a proverb." Hakoda sighed, turning to look at me in the eyes.

"I think that it is time that we put my brother on the defensive. Create a second force on fire nation soil." I stated calmly. With Hakoda I had realized that I needed to be direct. He was not a man who minced his words and as such I needed to do the same.

"That force is this?"

"A force created out of the fire nation people. Many are just as oppressed as the earth kingdom cities with their children being stolen. Many would flock to a call of hope, the call of hope that my nephew and the avatar can give." Hakoda jerked and turned to look at me with cool blue eyes.

"If you plan to sent the avatar onto fire nation soil you are well aware that my children will follow him, my daughter and I are still not on speaking terms and this is the first time in years that I have seen my son." He looked furious, not that I blamed him, I was suggesting that he send his own children into the heart of the enemy. But I knew that strategically my plan was sound. It was emotion that would cause problems. Also I needed to send Zuko there for another reason, one that both he and the avatar would benefit from.

"This is a war, everyone must make sacrifices for the peace." I pointed out with a heavy heart. It wasn't that I wanted but it was what was best.

"What is to stop your brother from turning his troops to attack them? Aang and Zuko are two of the most wanted in the fire nation."

"The fire nation's situation is... volatile," I explained, "if my brother was to set up troops in his own land, to watch his people, there would be a civil war. He is intelligent enough to avoid such a situation. I believe that we should create a small group to travel with them. Large enough to protect each other but small enough to go mainly unnoticed. No more then fifteen, no less then eight." I could see Hakoda didn't like my plan but he knew that I was right.

"Let me talk to my counsel before any more talk." He stated softly. He looked worn and that in itself made me feel the same. We were both tired but we would not be finished for some time.

I had some old friends to contact.

* * *

_Maddi_

I walked to the training ground quietly, my mind heavy in thought. One of the soldiers had told me that Zuko was training there when I had asked. As I entered the training grounds I noticed Su Sen, Zuko, and Sokka working together to create a battle scenario for the soldiers. I felt a smile tug at my lips. It made sense that those three would become best friends in a matter of days. Zuko was fierce, serious, and kind; Sokka self-sacrificing, a joker, and someone who would always have the backs of others. Su Sen was the happy medium between the two.

My appearance at the training grounds did not go unnoticed. Several warriors stopped their battles to stare at me in unabashed amazement. Really, I wasn't that hard to come by in this camp, I though irritably, there is no need to stare.

"Pala? What are you doing here?" Sokka asked, turning to look at what all the men were gaping at.

"I wanted to talk to Zuko." I replied. Zuko jerked as if stung. Su Sen and Sokka though looked interested before dragging their attention back to the men they were working with. Zuko and I stood facing each other for a time, not saying a word. I was the first to break.

"I don't want to talk in front of all these people, let's go somewhere quieter."

Zuko nodded and the two of us wandered away. Ducking into an empty tent I turned to him. Biting my lip hard I made my choice. Blunt was best.

"I need to know why you told me that... that after you found out Jin was dead." I stated. My heart was beating hard, the answer given would determine my answer to his question. Zuko was silent. His eyes were serious but finally he admitted in a low voice.

"I don't know. It... I don't know." Anger flooded through my system but I suppressed it tightly. I could feel it leek out slowly as I spoke. My voice cold.

"You don't know? What you just discovered that your ex died and you move on to the next?"

"That's not what I meant." Zuko hissed, anger filling his eyes, twisting the skin around his face. In particular the melted skin around his eye, it looked painful.

"Then what did you mean?" I retorted.

"I only went out with Jin twice." He replied. As if that was an excuse? This was frustrating, infuriating. I had wanted one clean cut answer but real life didn't come with those. I should have known that by now.

"I only have your word for that." That was the last line for Zuko, he snapped. Striding forwards he crossed the little distance between us in one step. Grabbing my wrists he stared at me. We stood eye to eye.

"Do you know why I only went out with her twice?" He continued as if nothing else had happened, "Because I wanted you." My heart stopped. I couldn't think, couldn't move. All I could do was look at his eyes and gape out one thin word.

"What?" He let go of my wrists and took a step back.

"Ever since that day on Kyoshi island I... I haven't been able to get you out of my head. At first I hated you for it but... you grew one me." He looked away, suddenly unsure.

"I began to want to see myself, like you see me, as a person who carried promise. Until I wasn't just a banished prince who messed up everything. That... that changed me more than anything anyone else has ever done. I began to see myself as someone worthwhile. And later when I was with Jin. It was nice but... I kept wondering what it would be like it it was you on the other side of that table. It wasn't fair to her so I broke it off."

My heart was in my throat. What was it with me ending up in the longest relationships with men who instinctively knew how to play me? All my relationships that lasted more than a year was with someone who could say a few sentences and have me completely wrapped around his little finger. I was the girl, wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Zuko took my stunned silence as permission to continue on and that was just what he did.

"When I heard that Jin was dead it upset me, but it also made me realize that I had to let you know how I felt because... Because I needed to know how you would feel... because one of us could die out here and I couldn't..." He stumbled. I could tell he was fumbling for the right words.

"You couldn't die without knowing." I stated softly. My choice was made. No more relying upon knowledge unless it was needed.

"Zuko... my answer. It's yes."

* * *

A/N: Hi people, I'm sorry for updating so late. I wish I could give an excuse but really it was a mixture of writers block, family troubles, and having absolutely no ability to track time. Still, I just want to say I'm sorry and rejoice because finally the couple are together and we're about to see some action. Don't worry this story will never be abandoned, no matter how long it may take me to complete.

Thank you for your patience and understanding,

Princess Kassie Out.


	45. Attack

Chapter 45

Attack

_Sokka_

I smiled as Zuko and Pala exited the tent together. I had been keeping a eye out for their reappearance. I had been shocked when Zuko approached me and said that he wanted to start a relationship with Pala. I had been frank and told him that ultimately it was her decision. I wasn't going to force her to do anything, I had a feeling that if she knew Zuko asked my permission she would be furious but it was required for our culture. To keep her honour irrefutable Zuko had to ask the oldest male in her family. Because Pala had no family here in our world that responsibility fell to me, the oldest male that she was close to. Smiling myself I turned away and faced the men again. Zuko joined us a few moments later, smiling. It was the first time I had ever seen him smile. I grinned at my best friends, Su Sen still intensely focused on correcting a soldier's grip on a weapon and Zuko who was trying to get back into the mind of a warrior. I found myself hoping their relationship would succeed, it would be awkward if my friend and my sister broke off their relationship. Of course, knowing Pala, she wouldn't let that happen.

"Can we join?" I jerked at the familiar voice as did Zuko. Spinning the two of us found ourselves looking at Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot. A smile worked its way onto my face.

"Of course… wait, I thought you were leaving to make your names in the world?" I added.

"They'll be plenty of time for that later. I figured it would be helpful to start here. That and I have news for your father." He shrugged. Su Sen caught my eye. He looked worried, I didn't blame him.

"What sort of news?" Su Sen asked, stepping forward to join the conversation.

"The princesses army will be here tomorrow."

* * *

_Maddi_

I woke up early and rolled over on my cot. Both Katara and Toph were in bed asleep. Despite the fact we shared a tent we hadn't really spent much time together. Both Toph and Katara spent all their time either helping Aang master one bending style or another or working on their own little side projects. I hadn't found anything to devote my time to. Sure I trained and got involved in politics but besides that I mostly wandered about through the camp, trying to learn as many names as I could. With a sigh I pushed out of my warm sleeping bag, my back cracking, and wandered from the tent.

The air outside was cool with a wind that came from the ocean. I lifted my head and breathed it in, it smelled of salt. A slight cough caught my attention. Turning I found myself face to face with General Iroh. I blinked in shock before falling into a bow of respect. To my surprise the dragon of the west laughed.

"No need to be so formal, Maddison, not with who you are to my nephew." I rose, in surprise.

"You know?" Iroh nodded, his gold eyes smiling.

"There are very few secrets between my nephew and myself currently and I believe I have you to thank for that." I shook my head at his words.

"Hardly, Zuko would have come into his own, eventually," I replied.

"Perhaps, but there is still much I have to thank you for. Please, I would like to have the honour of knowing you better. If the stories are right you know quite a lot about me already." He held out his arm in a grandfatherly gesture that made my heart hurt. My mind flashed to my own grandfather who had died several years ago from cancer. Just like my grandfather, Iroh always seemed to have the faintest smell of smoke on him. With Iroh though, that smell would not lead to bone cancer.

"Sure." Iroh took my arm and guided me away. While we walked he started up a conversation.

"I assume as you came from another world there is much I would not be able to understand so I'll start simple. What's your favourite tea?" A smile worked its way onto my face and I found myself trying not to laugh. Only Iroh would ask that as the first question.

"I don't know actually, I didn't drink tea back home. And here I haven't had one that stands out above all the rest. I'm not a fan of green tea, my grandmother used to make it but she had a habit of drowning it in honey." I explained. Iroh gasped, I couldn't tell if he was pretending to be horrified or genuinely was shocked. His next question was about Pi Sho and when I admitted that game didn't exist in my world he instantly proclaimed that he was going to teach me, over tea of course.

As we passed one tent I happened to look up what I saw stopped me in my tracks. It was a single flag, snapping in the salty wind. The flag itself was made out of a thin fabric with charcoal lines drawn upon it but the lines themselves sent a shiver through me. It was an arrow and inside the end was a circle, split into four sections each with the symbol of one of the four nations. My necklace placed inside Aang's arrow. Iroh stopped, noticing my gaze he smiled.

"A symbol of both peace and hope, all that this army represents on one flag. It is an impressive feat." He gazed at the flag quietly before turning back to me with a smile.

"Come Maddison, tea and Pi Sho are waiting."

* * *

_Zuko_

I was woken at dawn by the sound of a gong. Jerking awake as another sound joins in. The cry of a horn. I swear under my breath and throw on my clothes. Uncle is halfway dressed and in minutes the two of us are outside. On my back are a pair of duel swords that have never seen battle and my face at the same time. Perhaps it is time to let everyone know who the blue spirit was all this time. Although it wasn't that much of a secret anymore after Aang saw my face. The only person who doesn't know officially that I care about is my uncle and he probably suspected as he had been the one to get me training for the swords as well as buy them for me. And as they were the blue spirits signature weapon...

"General Iroh, Prince Zuko." I turn at the sound of my name. A mess anger is rushing at us. He skids to a stop for a moment.

"Princess Azula's army is on the horizon. Approximated time of arrival is two hours. All fighters are being called to the front." With that he takes off again, spreading his news around camp. Uncle and I both pick up our pace and hurry out of the encampment.

Outside the soldiers are arriving, most people here have very light armour, most of it is leather. With fighting fire benders that was actually the wise choice. It wouldn't be the first time that firebenders had heated armour to the point it was red hot.

As my uncle joined the other high ranking fighters I found myself looking for familiar faces. Su Sen was sharpening a particularly vicious curved sword with a serious expression on his face. Sokka was nearby checking his weapons for chips or any other signs of damage. Katara was running around the battlefield hands out, sensing where water was closest to the surface.

Slightly to my right and behind Maddi stood with the five other archers and Longshot prepping their bows and counting their ammunition. Toph stood beside them, chin out but clearly listening to what was going on around her. I took a few steps towards them wanting to talk with Maddi when a small voice came from my left.

"Zuko? Can I talk to you?" I turned, it was Aang. The avatar looked nervous, scared even, and his wide eyes seemed to be begging.

"What is it?" I questioned. The boy I had chased around the world shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm going to have to kill people, aren't I?" I froze, staring at the dead look in Aang's eyes. It was a look I recognized, resolve to do something against his nature.

"Maybe." Aang jerked at my words as I looked at him solemnly.

"It's your choice. No one can force you to do something against your will. Ultimately you decide." Aang gaped at me. I wondered if anyone had ever bothered to tell him that. With the way he acted sometimes it was easy to believe he hadn't been. I found myself wishing that someone had said that to me long ago.

"Zuko…" I looked back to Aang at his call.

"Thanks." I nodded in response to his word. Within minutes he vanished into the crowd of soldiers.

I pulled out my swords and began checking them to see how sharp they were and if they were damaged in any way. I already knew the answers, I had checked them only yesterday but I needed something to do to distract myself until the battle began.

* * *

_Toph_

I stood by the archers, bored out of my mind. I had been told that my job was to make sure that they were not attacked and to give them a place where they could pick off the enemies without posing a threat to their own side. Around us the field grew more and more busy as the other warriors and soldiers joined in on the preparations. If I reached out with my bending I could feet the other army marching towards us. They would be here soon.

"Toph, are you alright?" I heard Maddi ask from where she was standing. She hadn't moved much, mostly shifting her weight as she checked her weapons. She was the archer who would have to attack any enemies that made it past me and onto their tower. The tower I agreed to make. I sense a shift in the army in front. They're getting into position.

"I'm fine, I can't wait to kick some firebender butt." I assume Maddi nodded as I didn't hear any reply. I quickly scanned the archers. All six were standing in the line that had been planned out and now it was time. Grinning I kicked my foot into the earth and pulled up. A long wall of earth sprung up at my command, the archers on the top, bracing themselves as they were raised into the air. Once they were a good eight feet up I stopped and turned back to the rest of the army. There was silence. The only real sound was that of breathing and the standard snapping in the slight breeze. Na uh, this was to solemn, I could feel the fear growing amongst the army. Time to change that.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko! Long live the Avatar!" I shouted. The men in front of me shifted as did the archers up on their ledge. I could feel the change pass through everyone as Maddi's voice rang from above.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko! Long live the Avatar!" Voice after voice joined into the throng, people's hearts began pumping with excitement, readiness. Willingness to fight for what they believed in.

We only fell silent when Azula's army came to a stand still, several lengths apart. There were several large animals, judging by their weight komodo-rihnos. We were outnumbered five to one. But the fire nation didn't have me, they were going down. One person stepped forward from the enemy army. What was he doing?

"I am here," the man began, his voice projecting clearly across the field, "to represent princess Azula. The princess has stated that any who wish to leave this..." he trailed off before his voice changed to one of derision, "renegade group will be allowed to return home with their lives. All who remain will be killed." There was silence. No one moved. Somewhere from the opposite side of the army someone shouted.

"Down with Ozai! Down with Azula. Long Live Fire Lord Zuko!" The cheers spread. I can tell the man who addressed us at first is trying to get our attention and failing. Finally I feel him retreat back into his army, although its hard to tell with all the stomping going on where he goes after that. Then with one last shout the armies seem to run at each other with no warning. The battle has begun. I can hear the twang of the bows from above and the shouts and cries of the people fighting. There is the distinct sound of metal clashing against metal and I can't help but grin. Metal, earth, I'm truly in my element. Time to show these cowards what happens when they decide to mess with the best earth bender in the world and her slightly less awesome friends.

* * *

_Aang_

Madness. Everything is happening so fast I can barely keep up. I find myself dodging, ducking, knocking people over all over the place. I'm only able to distinguish between the forces I'm fighting with and those I'm fighting against by their outfits. Our enemies are all wearing uniforms while my allies are wearing a mesh mash of random articles of armour and clothes. An arrow whizzes by my head and I duck away in a panic. It wasn't even close, imbedding itself in the forehead of a man in front of me. I stop stalk still watching in horror as the life drains from his eyes. I don't have time to think on it any more as a group of no less then five fire nation warriors converge and attack me. I block with a wave of air and shoot away. Everywhere I go people are getting hurt. I see men and women bleeding, limping, trying to fight off to many attackers at once. I spot Zuko. He unlike some others is cutting a swath through the ranks of the fire nation soldiers who are here. His two swords from when he was the blue spirit spin, covered in fire.

I hear a cry that sends fear shooting through my stomach. Turning I see Katara overwhelmed by a large group of fire nation soldiers. My heart jumps. I speed towards her, going as fast as I can. I feel sick, if I don't make it in time Katara-

Something inside of me snaps and I feel the now familiar power rush through me. The avatar state. I reach inside me and fire shoots everywhere, covering the soldiers who were about to attack Katara in so much fire I cannot see them. I wrap my arms around Katara and using airbending, shoot the both of us out of the situation.

I land on the long raised platform that Toph created for the archers. Anger is still rushing through me. They tried to hurt Katara. This battle was over, now.

Leaving Katara standing there I raise into the air, still glowing. In an instant I am engulfed in fire and earth and my voice booms as I speak. It is strange to hear within my own voice the echoes of the past avatars, male and female, young and old.

"Retreat and tell your princess that she should not expect to keep her crown long. We are coming for her. Her deeds will not go unpunished." I snarled. A good deal of the fighting had quieted down when I had gone into the avatar state. Already I can see many of the fire nation troops fleeing. The tales of the damage I did back in the North Pole are well known, especially among our enemies. Why didn't I do this at first then no one would have died? As I continue to watch though I can see there is still a large amount of people who are still fighting. My 'glowing' as Sokka once put it clearly didn't change everyone's mind. Still, we're not so badly outnumbered, it actually appears that we are in the majority. Grimacing, I reenter the battle, coming out of the avatar state. Last thing I want to do is get hurt while I'm at my most venerable.

The battle is madness, even with less people my awareness is instantly restricted into just myself and those directly around me. That's all I can afford to pay attention to as I fight. An enemy with a spear comes at me from behind and I only just manage to stop him. Another riding a komodo-rihno with a ridiculously long sword tries to behead me. I throw the sword from his grip and spook his steed with a bolt of fire to the face. That seems to be the point of battle. To attack until the other party is to damaged or scared to fight any more. It makes me feel dirty, evil. Like somewhere above the spirits are looking down and crying at this display of hate. I keep fighting, trying to keep my mind on what I'm doing. Attack, evade, change, attack, evade, change, attack, evade-

There's a cry behind me and I turn to see Su Sen pulling his sword out of a man's chest. I hadn't even noticed him. Su Sen doesn't even acknowledge me as I turn. He's to busy fighting another man, who I blast out of the way with a solid wave of air. I turn away then and return to my fighting. There is still a lot to do.

It is strange how the battle ends. I go to look for another enemy, only to discover that the battlefield is empty of any who would still be fighting. Most have run away or are laying on the ground unconscious or dead. People are already running about, picking through the injured and dead, separating them and transporting those who can be saved to the healing huts that Katara had made. My heart jumps at the thought of Katara and I realize something. Gritting my teeth I begin to look for Sokka. There is something that I need to talk to him about.

* * *

_A/N: So there it was, the first battle scene with Aang. And another Toph moment. So I just want to say this to all my readers. I want to personally thank each and every one of you, from those who reviewed in the beginning to those who are still reviewing even to those who have never reviewed once. Your support has allowed me to get this far with Change the World and I now wish to announce that this story only has eight to ten chapters left before it is over (ten because the last one planned is going to be either the longest I have ever written or it will be split into two or three, depending on how much I have to write, either option is likely at this point). That's actually a rather terrifying thought that my story will be over so soon. Anyway, there is still Ripples in the World (I seriously need to catch up with some of those one-shots) and the sequel to this one which will semi follow the comics and give a insight to Maddi's life after the war. It probably won't actually be that long (I don't think it will be as long as this one at least) but I'm really looking forward to it and seeing how many of you will follow that series as well. Anyway, I'm looking forward to what is coming up and I hope to hear from you all soon,_

_Princess Kassie Out_


	46. Past and Present

Chapter 46

Past and Present

_Maddi_

I watched as men and women were brought to the healing huts on stretchers, held by friends or even slung over someone else's shoulders. They were overrun in both allies and enemies, something I hadn't considered. Hakoda had pointed out that the warriors who survived could be held ransom or be persuaded over to our side. Either way every person who could be saved was. I didn't enter the healing huts myself. As I had been standing among the archers I had absolutely no injury to myself and I wasn't skilled enough in healing to be of any use there. Instead I stood outside and counted those who entered. I was actually surprised at the sheer lack of major injuries, the worst being a sword stuck in one man's gut. I was distracted by a shout. Turning I saw Zuko and Aang walking side by side and all around them the warriors cheering. I smiled, slung my bow across my shoulders and walked over to meet them.

"Hey, how are you guys doing?" I asked. Aang shrugged, his eyes fixed firmly on the healing huts. Probably looking for Katara. Zuko's eyes though fixed upon me and a smile crossed his face. I returned the smile.

"Its good to know you two are getting along so well." I continued with a shrug, only to be distracted by a new voice.

"Nephew, Maddison, Aang." We turned to see Iroh approaching from within the crowd. Beside him was Sokka and Katara's father. Behind them are twelve women, the oldest being about Iroh's age and the youngest the same age as Katara.

"What's going on?" Aang asked, his eyes flicking over the women. Hakoda turns.

"Avatar Aang, these are the healers from the army Priestess Yue sent, they are here to help in the healing... hut." Aang nodded looking confused as Hakoda gestured to the building for the women to enter. Once they had vanished inside he turned back to us.

"I need you three to find Sokka, Toph, and Su Sen. I need to talk with all of you." We shared a look and nodded. Aang heading towards the building to talk to Katara while Zuko and I split to look for the others.

"So what exactly is going on?" Sokka asked. We were gathered in the war tent. Hakoda and Iroh sat at the head of the tent while the rest of us moved into a circle. I knew every person in here except two, both young men around the same age as Su Sen. Judging by Su Sen's smile at one of them and the warm greeting the two shared he knew the first young man but not the second. The first stranger was as tall as Su Sen, about six foot, dark green eyes, tanned skin, and shoulder length hair pulled into a ponytail. He wore a rather unassuming tunic and bracers on his hands and legs. The second stranger was clearly water tribe. His skin was pale and his hair black that fell to his shoulders. It was braided in places and held by thick blue carved beads. His eyes were the familiar blue that I had come to associate with the water tribe. He wore blue and black and seemed to have a modest baring. Hakoda stepped forward and gestured to the two strangers.

"I would like to introduce you to Kanan from Su Sen's army, and Iluq, whois one of the four men who Priestess Yue is considering to be the next chieftain of the Northern Water Tribe after her father passes on." I saw Sokka wince out of the corner of my eye. Yue being a priestess must have still been painful for him then.

"Now, to business." Iroh stated, taking a seat. We all quickly followed him, a sign of respect. Once we were all sitting Hakoda explained.

"General Iroh brought it to my attention that we had a possible secondary force right on enemy territory. However to access it we needed to have more than a flag." Hakoda sighed deeply.

"We are sending both Zuko and Aang to the fire nation, I am well aware that where Aang goes you four will be going as well so I invited a few more to go along as well. Su Sen is free to stay here or go with you, that is his decision but Kanan and Iluq will be traveling with you from now on." He finished. There was silence in the tent for a few moments.

"Isn't that dangerous with all those wanted posters out for those two?" Su Sen asked, glancing at the two of them, "No offence."

"None taken," Aang agreed.

"No, the fire nation does not hold soldiers beyond the usual guards for nobility. If Ozai was to place warriors to watch his own people he would have a revolt on his hands. As it is he was barely staying in the good graces of the people before we left. As it is now there is an undeniable rift between the people of the fire nation and the fire lord." Iroh explain with a sigh. A few of us nodded. It made sense. Ozai wasn't the sort of person who would care for the common man.

"If that is so, why so few?" Su Sen questioned, "why not send an entire contingent?"

"We aren't trying to attract attention," Hakoda quickly explained, "this is supposed to be a mostly undercover mission. More then fifteen would attract to much attention. The less people the better."

"Umm, I have a question here." I piped up, "We're supposed to be hiding in plain sight but you're sending three water tribe members? Iluq might fit in but Sokka and Katara... your skin is to dark to pass off as firenation." That fact bothered me a lot, how were they supposed to not stick out?

"They can pass off as colonials." Zuko stated causing me to blink in surprise.

"How? Blue eyes, dark skin, no offence their appearance screams water tribe." I winced and glanced at Katara and Sokka, "I'm sorry but it is true."

"There are peoples from both the water and earth nations in the fire nation colonies," Iluq stated, speaking for the first time. His voice was a light tenor which was far from the sound I had been expecting from him, "There are many water tribe people who live to the far north and south of the earth kingdom, a few no doubt are in the colonials as well, though they would be a severe minority." I nodded, it would be enough I hoped. I had always wondered how no one but Hama had noticed the distinctive water tribe features that both Katara and Sokka had.

"We're all going to have to say we're all from the colonials… the problem is Aang and Zuko, we need them to be able to fit in and with all those wanted posters…" Sokka trailed off. All of us looked at the two in thoughtful contemplation. I knew how to disguise Aang of course but Zuko would be the hard one without using a lot of makeup which was expensive and hard to come by.

"How bout we figure it out later?" Katara suggested, "we need to decide when we're meeting up with the rest of the army again and where."

"The fire nation is small compared to the earth kingdom in area," Zuko pointed out, "with a high population. There are lots of ways to successfully pass knowledge on to a majority in very little time. We won't have to stay there very long, but it won't be as effective as going from town to town." This time Iroh spoke.

"I recommend that we meet up with you two days before the day of black sun. That will give us time to organize the troops and finish the final touches of the strategy. It also will give us time to make it through the most villages we can. It makes the most sense." Su Sen stated, looking at us for confirmation.

"It sounds like a plan. Now its just the where." Katara pointed out.

We debated over various places but finally decided on a small cliff covered island hidden in an unoccupied bay. It was a good place to meet, isolated and secure. Once it was decided upon we all split up to go and pack what little things we had. IT wouldn't be long before we would be ready to head on our way.

* * *

_Sokka_

"Where are you going?" I turned at the familiar voice, finding myself face to face with Jet.

"To pack, we're heading to the fire nation to recruit troops there." I replied simply. Jet raised an eyebrow at my words and began to walk with me.

"Alone?"

"Hardly," I snorted, "the entire gang is going and Zuko, Su Sen and two other guys. Personally I don't think we'll need it, we've managed just fine when it was four of us, we don't need body guards." I sighed. I knew why my father was insisting upon it. He was worried for us, I understood that but it didn't mean that he should treat us like kids. Only Aang and Toph had been kids recently. The rest of us were adults, there hadn't been any option.

"Is there room for three more?" Jet asked, causing me to jerk out of my thoughts. Blinking I turned to look at the scruffy eighteen year old.

"What do you mean room for three more?" I asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing at his innocent expression.

"Just what I said. I was wondering if Longshot, Smellerbee and I could accompany you. The mores the merrier right?" I was tempted to refuse but Jet had shown himself to have learned and matured. I shouldn't hold what he had done so many months ago over his head. It didn't mean I completely trusted him but I did respect him.

"I can't make the final decision. I'll have to ask everyone else." I stated firmly. Jet nodded reasonably, as if he didn't seem to mind that.

"Of course but a few more fighting hands can't hurt. What are you going to do if you come across a fire nation army?"

"We run and hide." I replied firmly. I wasn't going to give Jet any ideas. The last thing we needed was him assuming that we were attacking the fire nation. "The point of this mission is to gain followers, not murder unnecessarily. Besides, General Iroh already explained to us why there would be no army. The worst we'll have to worry about is a few guards in the larger cities, which we'll be avoiding in the most part anyway. It isn't the nobility who will welcome us after all." Jet nodded again, mulling it over, his eyes thoughtful.

"Well I'll get packed myself. If it is up to all of you then I might as well assume the best and see where it goes from there." With that Jet turned away, leaving me alone. I stopped for a moment, watching him vanish into the tents with a thoughtful expression of my own. Perhaps Jet would prove to be a useful ally. I would have to watch him and decide later. If he did end up coming. After all he would have to get past Maddi and Katara first.

* * *

_Zuko_

"Prince Zuko, Avatar Aang, may I have a word for a moment?" My uncle asked, catching me by the shoulder as we turned to leave the tent. Aang, who had stopped upon hearing his own name nodded and took a seat once again. It was just the three of us now, Hakoda having left to try to talk to his daughter before she left and patch up their relationship.

"What is it uncle?" I questioned as I too sat down beside Aang while my uncle took his place across from us.

"I believe it is time that the both of you know your history." I exchanged a confused glance with Aang and my uncle's words. Know our history? What did he mean?

"You are both aware of Roku and Sozin, the avatar before Aang and the fire lord who began the war. There is more to their story then that. Before they were the avatar and fire lord, they were best friends." There was silence.

"What?" Aang asked, shocked by the revelation. I just continued to stare at my uncle blankly. I couldn't seem to connect the two together. How was the previous avatar best friends with my forefather? The one who began the war?

"Sozin as you know was the crown prince while Roku was his playmate when they were younger. The two became best friends until they were sixteen when Roku was revealed to be the avatar." Iroh smiled softly.

"After Roku became a fully realized avatar he returned and married the love of his life. Not much later Sozin fell to madness and attacked the earth kingdom. The two friends were split, apart. Years later the volcanic island Roku lived on erupted. Sozin helped his friend quell the volcano but when Roku fell prey to the poison gasses Sozin left him for dead. You two resolve of that battle. Aang you are Roku's reincarnation and Zuko, you carry the blood of both Sozin and Roku in your veins."

"Both?" I echoed in shock. My uncle nodded.

"Your mother was a decedent of Roku, therefore you have both bloods. It was for you to decide which to follow and I am proud of the one you chose and the man you became." I reacted on instinct. I stood, stepped forward and hugged my uncle. There were a few moments of silence while we embraced each other.

"I have always believed in you Zuko, even when it looked like you lost your way." He whispered softly, his strong arms wrapped around me. After a few more minutes he pulled away.

"You best go pack. There is a long journey ahead of you. But I know you will succeed." He turned to Aang.

"You too young avatar. There is much riding on you." He paused then pulled out two rolls of parchment, one sealed with wax, the other little more then a scrap.

"I do have something that I need you to do for me." He stated, passing the thin paper to me.

"The letter is to an old friend of ours explaining our situation. I'm sure that he would be pleased to meet you once again after all this time. Perhaps you should show how well you have improved?" He winked and it struck me exactly who he was suggesting I visit.

"The second is merely a suggestion for when you are teaching the avatar how to firebend. I believe this too will be educational." I nodded, tucking both pieces of vellum into my belt. I wouldn't let my uncle down. Turning away I joined Aang and the two of us left the tent. Uncle was right there was still a lot to be done before we faced my father. I only hoped that we would be strong enough to take back my country for good.

* * *

Less then an hour later we all met up back at Appa. The large bison had been staying away from the majority of the strange warriors as well as keeping the lemur, Momo company. The two animals had been rather uncertain of the strangers. To my surprise both happily greeted each person in the group from Aang, to Maddi, to me. They examined Su Sen, Kanan, and Iluq carefully while Aang and his group saddled Appa and packed the stuff we had taken. I found myself awestruck by how well the five of them worked together. They each knew exactly what to do and where the others would be. It was impressive.

"What are you doing here?" I turned at the question to see three people I hadn't seen in several days. Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee. Jet grinned like a cat.

"I was wondering if we could come along? A few extra hands could be useful after all." I glanced at the others. Toph's head was cocked to one side. Aang seemed curious not not judgemental. Katara looked resigned. Sokka and Maddison both looked neutral with the others had little idea who these three were.

"I don't see why not. Can Appa carry all of us Aang?" The airbender nodded in response.

"He should be okay, we just can't expect to travel for a long time."

"If we can get to the fire nation without swimming I'm good. After that we'll only be traveling short distances anyway." Maddison pointed out from where she was sitting on Appa's saddle. I smiled and then shrugged.

"Alright then, lets go."

We all filed onto Appa. It was a little crowded with all the extra luggage and people but Katara and Aang took Appa's head, clearing up some more space. Once we were all seated Aang glanced back, smiling brightly.

"Appa, yip yip!"

I leaned over the edge of the saddle and watched the camp become smaller as Appa flew off. To my surprise Maddi stood and came to sit beside me.

"It will be okay. We'll see them all again."

"Will we?" I asked softly, "you never know."

"You're right. There are no guarantees but I believe we will. Sometimes you just have to believe." She grimaced.

"Darn it! Katara you're rubbing off on me again!"

The sound of laughter echoed in the sky.

* * *

A/N: Another short one but the next one will be longer. I'm starting to worry that this story won't be finished until September. Since I'm working two jobs, writing on the side, and trying to prep for university its really busy. I'll have to see.

Princess Kassie Out.


	47. Art of the Sword

Chapter 47

Art of the Sword

_Maddi_

We landed in a secluded area a good league away from a middle sized town. Appa was exhausted and the poor bison practically collapsed upon landing. The poor bison hadn't carried a load this heavy in a long time if ever. We left Appa to drink out of a clear stream and eat some grass with Mono for company and went off to get some clothes. Near the edge of town was what I assumed the equivalent of a laundromat with row upon row of clothes left hung to dry. Each of us slipped in one by one and grabbed clothes that looked like they would fit us.

"I feel like I'm dirty." Jet grumbled as he tugged on the red shirt the he had stolen. I glanced around at everyone. Iluq was pulling out his blue and ivory beads, tucking them into a small pocket where they would be safe, Smellerbee seemed perfectly comfortable wearing a boys outfit and Toph was punching out the soles of the shoes she had taken.

"We have to disguise ourselves. Neither Aang and I are happy that we have to stop shaving." Sokka pointed out gesturing to the young airbender who after a single night was itching his scalp.

"Maddi, can you help me with my hair?" Katara asked, turning around to show her bun, hair lollies hanging down from either side.

"Sure." I agreed reaching forward to carefully unwind and take out each pin holding her bin in place. With her hair unfastened it fell right to her waist in beautiful waves that made me jealous.

"We should probably get going." Se Sen stated glancing up at the sun, "I don't want to start in a place like this."

"Actually there's somewhere we have to go before we start." Zuko stated, stepping forward. My breath caught. Zuko had been attractive in his earth kingdom outfit but in the colours of his nation he was... breathtaking. Zuko noticed my look and smiled, causing me to shake my head. I needed to focus.

"Where?" Katara asked, tucking her necklace into a pocket and glancing curiously at Zuko.

"My old master." He replied.

"Old master?" I questioned stepping forward into the conversation.

"You're old firebending master?" Aang perked up. Zuko had begun to teach him but any chance to get more elemental training he jumped at.

"My old firebending master was a old fire sage under the personal hire of my father who severely favoured my sister because she was a prodigy. You don't want to meet him." Aang deflated at Zuko's words causing me to snicker. Zuko carefully ignored us both as he continued.

"I meant the master before I showed any bending promise." This time Katara frowned.

"How? There's no way you had a master at that age." She pointed out. I paused myself. She had a point, benders showed their skill by the time they were two to three years old on average. Katara had shown hers at eighteen months, a little earlier than normal. Zuko scowled and looked away.

"He isn't a bending teacher, and I showed my abilities a little later then normal." He pulled out his swords roughly, face closed off, "His name is Piandao, he taught me how to fight with swords and helped me choose these ones. He's renowned in the fire nation for his swords. He's a master of the blade." Su Sen and Sokka both looked impressed and even Jet seemed to be thinking it over. It occurred to me that we had many more warriors who used the sword then was shown in cannon. Su Sen's main weapon was the short sword, Jet used hook swords, Zuko used duel swords and Sokka was due to start using his famous 'space-sword'. Four boys who all wielded the blade. Which made me wonder what fighting style Iluq and Kanan used, were the two benders or did they use a weapon?

"So why are we going visiting? I thought the point of this trip was to turn the fire nation people to our side under the fire lord's nose." Kanan spoke for the first time. His voice was soft and a light tenor.

"It is," Sokka agreed, raising his head and involving himself in the conversation as well, "but if Zuko has someone who knows him who we could potentially convert to our cause I don't see why we shouldn't start there." While everyone else agreed I approached Zuko. The way he had reacted to Katara's question put up all kinds of alarm bells. Now as his girlfriend, the word sent a shiver through me, I wanted to make sure he was okay. Though in all honesty I probably would have done the same sort of thing if he was just my friend.

"Zuko?" I questioned. He glanced at me.

"What?" He snapped. I sighed.

"If you don't want to talk you don't have to. I just want to know why you snapped at Katara." I explained reasonably. He sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. He never answered as we were interrupted by Sokka.

"Zuko, Maddi, come on or we'll leave without you."

"Coming Sokka," I responded with a sigh, turning away to join the rest of the group, Zuko trailing after me.

* * *

Five hours of travel was all it took to make it to a small but flourishing town on the side of a mountain. As the sun began to sink below its zenith Zuko guided us up to the doors and knocked loudly. A few moments later a sour faced man in his early sixties answered. He stared at us completely blank faced. His face only changed upon resting on Aang who was trying to not scratch under the makeshift hat, I was pretty sure the expression that crossed the man's face was because of the tacky hat(which was a gaudy yellow against the black and red of his outfit), not that Aang was the avatar.

"The master is busy." He stated tiredly, "and he doesn't have time to bother with…" his lip curled slightly, "you." Jet snarled at the insinuation but Zuko stepped up, blocking the young man from doing something rash.

"Fat, it's me. Zuko." The man actually blinked and peered at Zuko with intense concentration.

"I don't remember you."

"My uncle brought me here when I was four years old as everyone believed I was a none bender. You stated that I was a 'useless lump' at which I pulled your beard." The old man actually smiled and stepped aside.

"Welcome back." He stated. As we entered the courtyard Zuko turned to us.

"Fat is a little paranoid, in particular when people claim to be someone Master Piandao knows. It isn't that he doesn't trust anyone it's just that he cares for the master greatly." Zuko explained.

"You were four and still hadn't shown you were a bender?" Katara asked in surprise. Zuko stiffened then sighed.

"I was six when I lit the curtains in my family's summer home."

"Six!?" Katara echoed. She looked shocked. I didn't blame her. Most children were known to be benders by the time they were three. Four was late. Five practically unheard of. I mentally ran through the math. Azula was fourteen, as she was a prodigy she would have shown her bending early. Probably close to the same time Katara had. She was two and a half years younger then Zuko who had recently turned seventeen. Which meant that if she started bending at eighteen months Zuko was three years old. Azula, his younger sister, had first began firebending three years before Zuko. Add into that the fact she was a natural and by the time she was seven years old she was bending blue fire it was little wonder why she was the favoured one and it was such a sore point for Zuko. Which also meant that the obvious favouritism that Zuko had mentioned probably had a lot more to it. My thoughts were cut off by a strong voice echoing from the steps.

"Did I hear Zuko was back?" Zuko looked up and his face actually lit up.

"Chan!" The two young men closed the distance between them in seconds. The stranger, Chan actually hugged Zuko before leaning back.

"You've changed so much! I haven't seen you in almost four years... you know I wouldn't have even recognized you if I hadn't heard your name." He laughed and rubbed Zuko's now shaggy hair, "The little lion has a mane." Zuko snorted and stepped out of the embrace allowing me to take in the stranger for the first time.

"I had plenty of hair before." He retorted. Chan replied with something cheeky and the two continued to talk. I toned them out in favour of examining Chan in more detail.

Chan was tall, much taller then Zuko, he had to be six foot two or three. He had the traditional pale skin and dark hair of the firenation high class and a study frame. Broad shoulders, well toned muscles, a strong jaw line and wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. Smile wrinkles, he was clearly a happy person. I had never heard of a Chan in Zuko's life, then again I had never known that he had trained under master Piandao. It occurred to me once again that my knowledge was lacking, not just of the future though, but the past too. There were many people I had never known about such as Su Sen, Kanan, Iluq, and now Chan. Amal, the butler had never been given a name in the series but here he was, a person with a past, a history, people he cared for. Despite the fact I had been living here for almost a year I was still surprised by things that happened. Sometimes I forgot that this was a TV series and other times I forgot that it was a real world. My mind couldn't seem to keep both concepts at once, flipping back and forth constantly. I shook my head. Remember, this is a real world, it was a real world first, you made a promise to yourself, no more relying upon what you know from the show.

"So who are these people?" Chan asked catching my attention and dragging my mind out of what was turning into a dangerous cycle.

"My friends." Zuko replied before turning to us. After a moment he sighed.

"Sokka and Katara, son and daughter of the chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe; Iluq from the Northern Water Tribe; Toph Bei Fong, a earthkingdom noble; Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot, earthkingdom, from a group called the Freedom Fighters; Kanan and Su Sen from the Earthkingdom; Maddison, girl of all four nations; and Aang the Avatar." He gestured to each of us as he introduced us. Chan's eyes widened even more as each new name was mentioned before he shook his head.

"I'm sure there is a really good story behind this one. But later, first let's find the master and get you all something to eat and someplace to sleep." We nodded. All of us were tired and more than ready to fall into bed. I was beginning to feel that I liked Chan. I also noticed Kanan watching Chan, his eyes roaming about the man.

Chan guided us into the large house which was clearly Piandao's and into a room I recognized. It was the same room where Sokka approached Piandao in the series when the master was practicing calligraphy. The room was large but well lit from a large empty door that lead into a courtyard as well as patterns chiseled through the wood to create two decorative 'windows' to either side of that door. Master Piandao was sitting on the floor, his back to us while he wrote with a paintbrush.

"Master, Zuko has returned." Chan stated, bending down on one leg and lifting the opposite hand to rest in a fist beside his heart. Piandao turned and I was able to look at him in real life for the first time. I realized in shock that I had mostly forgotten what this man was like at all.

Master Piandao was surprisingly tan for a fire nation man and his eyes were more a dark honey than gold. Upon seeing Zuko he smiled and strode forward with several long strides and pulled him into a hug.

"It has been a long time, come, Fat has made a wonderful dinner and I believe there is enough for everyone here, even all your friends." He laughed at that and Zuko smiled, but not before stepping back and taking a respectful bow to his master.

The diner table was long, as long as Bumi's had been when we had eaten a feast with the mad king. It was strange, that was less then a year ago yet it felt like years had passed. This table, unlike Bumi's though was surrounded by chairs enough for all of us. Each of us took a seat, even Fat after he had finished serving the final dish and soon enough we were all listening to our own story as Zuko recounted what had happened in the years he was gone. I noticed it was edited. Zuko never mentioned my future knowledge or that I came from another world, which I appreciated, but he also never mentioned where his scar came from of some of the deeds he had done while chasing Aang and the rest of us down. Everyone was listening intently to the tale, even those who had heard it before. I noticed Katara's nose scrunch when Zuko didn't say a ting about where his scar came from, even after Chan asked.

"That is quite a tale, then can I assume you are here to recruit Chan and I to your battle?" Zuko nodded, looking guilty at his master's words. Piandao smiled warmly.

"I have been supporting that battle before it even began for you," he stated and glanced at our companions, "But before you leave spend some time here. I wish to reassess your mastery over the sword as well as those of your companions who are wielders of the nobel weapon." It was a little surprising, but not entirely when Sokka shot up from his place in the table.

"I would like to learn the way of the sword as well." He stated, bowing to the master. Piandao nodded.

"The art of the sword is open to everyone, no matter what their nation. I will gladly teach you." He stated, "but first let us eat and rest. We will begin tomorrow."

* * *

Chan had guided us to a separate house from Piandao's, this one filled with twelve rooms. It was where the apprentices would live. However currently there was only Chan which left the other eleven rooms open for our group to choose from. Everyone retired early, after a wonderful diner with more supply than any of us had in months, and now actual beds instead of cots or mats it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Except for me. I had taken the room right beside Zuko's and it was the sound of a door opening that caught my attention. There was silence for a moment.

"So what happened with that scar? I'm not stupid Zuko." Chan's voice asked from the other side of the wall. I lay still wanted to see what Zuko would say in reply.

"Its none of your business."

"It is. We were best friends remember? I was the only boy your age you knew at all back then, even though you weren't allowed to speak of me at home we were best friends. Then all of a sudden you disappear, no note, not a word until now. You openly admitted to being banished but you father wouldn't just banish you. You were challenged to an Agni Kai, and lost." There was silence. "Tell me if I'm wrong Zuko."

"You're not wrong." There was a loud sigh at Zuko's words.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through so much. It isn't fair. It was hard enough for you losing your mother."

"Chan. Shut up." I chuckled softly. I had never known that Zuko had a friend like this. I was glad, he deserved a good friend before having met Su Sen and Sokka and it was clear that Chan was quite perceptive as well, being able to figure that out when many people had no idea how Zuko got his scar, including those traveling with him when he was banished. He deserved a friend like that.

"Well I'll be leaving now... unless you want to talk to me about that pretty girl of yours."

"What?"

"Maddison. When you introduced her I'm pretty sure there was pink on your face."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I chuckled at the resigned tone to Zuko's voice.

"Nope." Chan replied. I grinned. That was it, I was going to get to know this young man, he was someone who I would be glad to get to know better.

"Yes we're in a relationship, you happy?"

"Very. Good night Zuko." There was silence for a moment and then the sound of a door opening and closing. With a sigh I rolled over in the bed and closed my eyes, drifting away into sleep.

* * *

_Zuko_

Master Piandao observed each of us and our weapons in silence.

"You have clearly chosen weapons that are well suited to you. Although I have never used hook swords myself you clearly know what you're doing." He nodded in though. Jet returned the favour, clearly he could handle being respectful to another sword wielder. He took my own swords then and smiled.

"You've clearly kept up your practice and kept your sword in perfect condition." He stated with a warm smile. Stepping back he paired Su Sen and I off and Jet with Chan while he began to teach Sokka the basics with a borrowed sword. I noticed farther away Aang was working on Waterbending with Katara. Toph was laughing with Kanan and Maddi was chatting with Iluq. Smellerbee and Longshot were nowhere to be found.

Su Sen coughed to catch my attention and I turned to him. I carefully observed him. He used a short sword. My swords were about the same length so neither of us had an advantage when it came distance. There were no words, Su Sen lunged and in seconds the two of us were fully engaged. With two swords I had an advantage, however, Su Sen was fast and he consistently moved about, making it hard to hit him. My eyes were dragged away from my opponent when I noticed how Chan had put Jet on the defensive. Wielding a massive sword it was all Jet could do to keep standing.

"Keep your eyes on me." Su Sen reminded, striking towards an unguarded shoulder. I backed up quickly before attacking again. If I got put on defensive with Su Sen I had little doubt that I would be defeated quickly. I quickly became fully committed to the battle. Our swords clashed with the sound of ringing metal.

"Enough." We pulled away and turned to Master Piandao. He was looking at Jet and Chan. Jet was fuming, his eyes flashing in anger.

"He cheated!" Jet exclaimed

"He used the environment to his advantage. There is no cheating in war. You should know that." Jet snarled something about the fire nation and stormed off. We all turned to look at Master Piandao who sighed.

"Zuko you'll fight with Chan. Su Sen, you'll battle with Fat." I winced at my master's words. Chan had been fighting with the master for an additional four years more then I. I was going to have to pay complete attention to him unless I wanted myself served up on a platter.

Chan of course grinned upon noticing my glance at him. I took him in and winced. A good head and a half taller then me with more muscles, a larger body and therefore more weight and a significantly longer sword Chan had a lot of advantages. The only way I would be able to take him down was with superior speed and agility. The problem was that Chan, just like master would use absolutely anything to gain the advantage. Unlike in firebending there was no 'dirty' way of fighting with a sword. I grimaced and prepared for the battle of my life.

* * *

We left the training grounds sore. Covered in bruises, cuts, and rubbing dust out of our eyes and went to the fountain to wash out the sweat and dirt. Chan was laughing while I dunked my head under the stream of water.

"Zuko? Can I talk to you?" Maddi asked, coming up to us. I turned and sat up, wringing water out of my hair.

"Sure." I agreed standing up. She dragged me away. I didn't start to question until she dragged me into the separate house where we all slept. I opened my mouth only for her to shove herself against me and place her mouth against mine.

All thoughts of protest vanished in an instant.

The kissing escalated, and I could feel my manhood rise in anticipation as we pressed against each other. Her hands run under my shift, pressing against my back while I wrap my own around her waist. It is pure instinct that drives me, not that Maddi seems to be thinking that much either. Just as Maddi had started it and it was also her to escalated it to the next step. She scrabbled against the door we were pressed against and opened it. The two of us fall in and move towards the bed. Her mouth doesn't leave mine but her hands change position and start to scrabble at my pants.

I shoved her away.

Maddi gasps and stumbles back. Looking shocked. I try to calm my manhood which is still rearing to go, panting as my body screams against my mind.

"We... Maddi we can't." I insist shaking my head. She's gasping too.

After a few moments of heavy breathing she sighs and sits on the bed.

"May I ask why?" I sigh and take a seat beside her. We're silent, although her eyes land on my pants which I had valiantly been trying to cover and she smirks slightly. I cough and she looks away.

"So what was your reason for stopping?" She asked quietly.

"If I tell will you?" She nodded.

"I didn't want your name to be soiled." I explain. Confusion wrinkled her brow and then she seemed to understand.

"Zuko," she began with a sigh, "I'm not exactly... innocent. And I have needs and I... haven't had those needs fulfilled in almost a year. But there are other things going on. I have responsibilities just like you... so thank you for stopping me. Most guys I know wouldn't. Don't get me wrong, I still want it but... I forgot that for a moment. Damn it! I want it so bad but I can't have a child. Not yet anyway." She groaned and rested her forehead in her hands.

"I can't believe I did that." She muttered. I smiled, feeling a bit more comfortable.

"Zuko, I need to tell you something." I looked at her.

"You asked me to be your girlfriend and then... you just stopped talking to me. I'm not omnipotent. I don't remember everything I saw in the series and there are a lot of people who are never covered at all. I didn't even know anything about Su Sen other then his name and I have never heard of Chan or Iluq or Kanan... just... don't expect me to know what you're thinking. I'm a person, not some incredible deity or spirit child and if that's the girl you wanted to be in a relationship now then you're going to be awfully disappointed." We were quiet for a moment.

"I'll try to remember that but its hard when it seems that you always know what I'm thinking." Maddi laughed.

"I don't, and there is a lot that I don't know about you. I didn't know any of that bending stuff you told us, like the fact you weren't a bender until you were six. I didn't even know that you trained under Piandao. Zuko all I know is a little bit here and there. I don't know everything."

"Do you know what happened to my mother." Air hissed from Maddi's teeth as she breathed out. She winced but nodded.

"Unfortunately I know quite a bit but... I don't know everything. Do you... do you really want to know what happened that night?" I stayed quiet. Did I? Did I really want to know?

"Yes."

"After your mom left you that night she went to your father. He... He _was_ planning on killing you." She sighed and glanced at me.

"Your mother protected you by making a deal with your father. She would... she would kill your grandfather and forge his will in exchange for your life. But she had to leave and never come back. That was the price for your life." My hands were shaking. All that. My mother had to do all that just to save my life? For what? My father to throw me by the wayside not even six years later with a burn scar and nothing but an old ship and some x-cons to my name. Deep inside I felt a hatred for my father. My mother had given everything and my father still thought I was useless, still found no worth in me.

"What happened then?"

"She left, went back to the place of her birth... I don't know where it is and married her previous fiancee, evoked a spirit to change her appearance so she would no longer be recognizable. That's about all I know, unless you want her story before she married your father."

"Maybe... but not right now." Maddi nodded and stood.

"Come on. And let's try to have a real relationship from now on."

* * *

_Maddi_

That night the meteor came.

We had all gone star gazing and suddenly shooting streaks of light filled the sky.

"Its beautiful." Katara muttered softly as we lay with our backs on the ground.

"Yeah I'm not really feeling anything here." Toph points out at which I snort.

"It really makes you realize just how small we all are." Sokka agrees with his sister, ignoring the irate earthbender.

"Will you all shut up, I'm trying to enjoy this." I snigger at Jet's irate tone. Who knew he could enjoy anything?

"What's that?" All our heads turned at Kanan's confused voice. I froze as I realized one meteorite was entering our atmosphere, and coming unusually close to us. I jerked to a stand.

"We got to go." I cried, shooting forward. Appa moaned and Momo, who had been lying on Aang's chest churred and flew away at the sudden flutter of activity. In an instant we were flying towards the crash site.

Unlike in the series the impact sight was a great deal deeper than it had been in the show, feet deep, taller then any of the guys I knew so at least seven feet deep and nearly twice as long across. All around not only the grass but the trees were on fire. The second Appa landed all of us sprung into action. There was a small river nearby so Katara began dealing with the trees and in seconds Iluq followed her. He too was a waterbender. Toph and Kanan both began earthbending, taking out of the fire on the grass. Aang used his airbending to take out anything else he could.

It was over in less then ten minutes.

"Hey Sokka." I called to the pouting watertribe boy, "what do you think of a sword made out of meteorite." TO my surprise Sokka sent me a calculating look.

"I had a sword made out of this in the story didn't I?" I blinked but then nodded.

"COOL!" Sokka cried causing me to laugh. However serious Sokka maybe, he was still Sokka.

"There is no way I am luging that thing all the way up the mountain." I laughed again as Sokka pouted.

"We'll all help." Zuko stated, stepping forward, "If this metal means that much to you, we'll all help out."

* * *

Another four days later and we were on our way, this time with an extra swordsman in tow.

"Chan, Fat, and I will begin working in the major cities and towns." Piandao stated firmly as he sent us off, "That way none of you risk your lives. The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of you and your friends. I know with you fighting for the right side," he smiled, "we'll succeed in this war." He paused, "Take this," He handed a scroll to Zuko, "It will help. And thank you for the scroll that you gave me." Chan strode forward and took him by the elbows.

"Take care of yourself, Zuko."

"You too." We turned, and began to walk down the hill. Quiet in preparation for what was to come.

* * *

A/N: There it is, a longer chapter and now only seven or so chapters left before this story ends. Time flies. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story, especially the interactions between Zuko and Maddi. I had a lot of fun writing that.

Princess Kassie Out.


	48. Blood and Spirits

Chapter 48

Blood and Spirits

_Maddi_

I walked through the poor town, trying to look like any other person wandering through the impoverished streets. Everything seemed to be grey or covered in mud and excrement.

"A coin for the poor miss?" A little girl asked, looking up at my with big eyes. My heart went out to the little girl, she couldn't have been more then five years old. Sighing I took out a coin and pressed it into the palm of her hand. It was all I could do at this point. The little girl smiled up at me, exposing a missing tooth.

"Thank you miss, thank you very much." I smiled tightly and nodded. There were far to many orphan children on the streets whose parents had passed away from the war, starvation (it was incredible how much food had been funnelled into the military), or illness from living in environments like this and a lack of overall health care. There was a lot that I was going to have to suggest to the earth king and Zuko once he was crowned. My suggestions could help a lot, the only issue would be implementing them.

From across the street I caught the eye of a familiar face and nodded at him. Su Sen nodded back and continued to talk to the group of men around him in a quiet voice. We had been doing this for over a week now. Splitting into groups of two we each took a nearby village and went around spreading the word, right down to where to meet. It was risky but what other choice did we have? We had also been careful to pair up in groups that wouldn't stick out to much. Myself with Su Sen, Jet with Iluq, Smellerbee and Longshot together, Katara with Kanan, Sokka with Toph or Zuko, and Aang with the one left over. More often then not though Aang's team would stay behind to work with the young airbender on his other bending forms.

While Su Sen continued to tell the men I noticed a few women standing to one side. I was well aware that women didn't fight often, the fire nation being one of the only nations that accepted it as long as the family had a son or another daughter who was already married and if the woman was not married herself. You weren't supposed to fight if you had a family of your own to care for. I walked over.

"Hello." I called. The women turned at my voice. One raised an eyebrow as she gazed at me. Most of these women were close to my age, sixteen to early twenties.

"who are you?" On woman asked sharply, her eyes wandering over my clothes which while nicer then most of the women's here were well worn.

"My name is Maddi." I replied, "I'm passing through with my family."

"We don't accept outsiders... especially colonial scum." One of the woman, a tall woman of about twenty hissed at me. Colonial, it wasn't the first time I had been called that.

* * *

_Six days earlier_

I gazed around the town built over the river. I recognized it right away despite not being cartoon. This was the village that Katara would pretend to be the painted lady, but I was beginning to wonder about helping her instead. All around me I could smell the sickness everywhere. It filled the air and made me want to breathe through my mouth to hide the smell but all that did was make me feel sick to my stomach.

"I can't believe my father allows his people to live like this." Zuko muttered, his eyes flicking about. I took his hand in mine and squeezed comfortingly, trying not to show my own feelings about this place.

"Causes." Jet hissed, his body tense beside us. Zuko flinched then glared at the offending earth kingdom citizen. I have to smile, Jet may have still held a grudge against the fire nation but at least he wasn't attacking everyone in sight. Baby steps, I told myself, baby steps.

"I can't believe anyone can live like this." Katara muttered, sadly glancing around.

"No kidding, I can bend a mountain out of this river."

"Its slurry from the factory just around the bend." I stated softly, pointing to the large black clouds that marked the placement of the weapon's factory, "its polluting this river, killing the fish who live here, which slowly kills the people." I was still battling within myself on whether to encourage or discourage Katara from playing the painted lady. Finally I shook my head. I'd leave it up to her, it was her choice after all.

"So what do you think about this village?" Kanan asked quietly.

"No, there aren't very many men, those that are still here can't fight." I felt my heart drop. These poor, poor people. In some places the river was so muddy it was like a small island had been formed.

"We have to help them." Karats stated, turning to Aang who was watching quietly.

"I want to but… how can we? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous group after all." He pointed out. I could see in his eyes that Aang was hurting just as much as we were. We all wanted to help, we just didn't know how. I stayed quiet in contemplation. I would let things run their course there's, in a world full of spirits the fire lord couldn't get that angry if one said enough was enough. After all, we had seen Hei-Bei things like that did exist.

"Ah you must be colonials, returned to the motherland. What brings you to our humble little village?" An old man, way to happy for the environment of this place asked. It was the ferryman who had gotten us to the town on the first place. We all shot each other looks. Well, at least our stories were safe.

That night I tried to stay awake to see what happened and whether Katara was planning on pretending to be the painted lady. I must have drifted off at some point because I was woken up by a twig snapping.

"Zuko? What are you doing?" I heard Katara's voice whisper.

"Going with you, do you want some help or not?" Zuko's voice replied.

"What are you wearing?" Katara questioned again. I flicked one eye open. Katara was standing in all her painted lady glory (where did she get the materials for the outfit anyway) and across from her was the blue spirit, his mask raised to expose his face. Quickly Zuko pulled the mask down and pulled his dual swords out.

"I think there is another spirit who has decided to help the painted lady." He added, his voice muffled from the thick wooden mask.

"Fine." Katara grumbled, "Let's go." I smiled softly as I watched the two of them leave. I hoped that everything would work out just fine.

* * *

We reentered town the next morning on our own 'boat'. There were children running around, laughing, people were eating and smiling. It was a drastic change from yesterday.

"What happened here?" Smellerbee asked, glancing at Longshot who just shrugged.

"The painted lady came." One of the townspeople said, overhearing the question, "she healed most of our sick and brought food!"

"Most?" I asked, stepping forward. The old woman who had spoken sighed and nodded.

"Whatever plagues Lee she was either unable to or unwilling to cure." I glance at Katara, I didn't remember that in the episode. Why couldn't she heal that man? Judging from the guilty look in her face she had tried and felt guilty at failing.

While the others went to explore the changed village I drag Katara to the side.

"So what happened?" She blinked and opened her mouth with a half-formed excuse before sighing.

"How much do you know?" She asked.

"You're the painted lady, you stole from the factory around the bend and you went with Zuko... in all honestly the last bit was only because I was awake last night." I smiled at the scathing glance I was getting from Katara.

"I tried... everything to heal him, every remedy and healing technique I know. His entire body felt... wrong like it was betraying him, like it didn't want to be healed. I flinched, an image of an old man laying unconscious on a bed. His face a sallow yellow as machines forced him to breath, eat, and drink. My grandfather had passed away from cancer and how he had died haunted me to this very day. I had just left the room when the machines were turned off and he was moved to hospice. Three days later he died. He hadn't woken up once since he had succumbed. It had started as liver cancer which spread into his bowels and then into his bones. By the time he had died his ribcage had been deformed from the cancer, creating bumps and lumps where his even chest should have been. He had been a heavy smoker, and that had been the cause of his cancer but I still remembered the event and how hard it had been on the family. The way Katara had said that his body was rebelling against him... it screamed cancer to me. Studies had found cancer cells in Egyptian mummies after all, it just wasn't as common as it was in the modern day with all the things we did to our bodies.

"Maddi? Are you okay?" Katara asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nodded mutely.

"Yeah," I finally stated, "that illness... it exists in my time... we don't really have a cure for it, not one that works well enough or on enough people. Its called cancer and you're right, it is literally the body going insane... my grandfather died from it." Katara closed her eyes, deeply upset by what she had heard.

"Well I may not have been able to help Lee, but at least I helped these people." She stated. I shook my head.

"The only way for them to have a better life is for the factory to stop and for them to clean the water." I admitted. Katara frowned but before she could say anything Aang came running up.

"Are you guys coming or what?" I looked at Katara who just smiled and followed Aang. I shook my head but followed before taking my place beside Zuko.

"You did good." I muttered. He jerked glancing at me before sighing and rubbing one hand across his forehead. I chuckled and pulled his free hand into my own.

Zuko glanced at me and shook his head but his hand tightened around my own. I squeezed back, trying to forget the memories that haunted me.

* * *

_Current Time_

"You don't have to accept me I just want to spread some news." I replied with an eye roll. The twenty year old woman scoffed at my words, disbelieving.

"I'm sure we have everything you need?"

"Oh so you know of thee rebellion then?" I asked. The woman rolled her eyes.

"That's old news."

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, where do your loyalties lie?" I questioned. The one woman snorted but the others shifted uncomfortably. Ha, gotcha.

"I've lost my husband, six of us have, some of us have even lost our children to this spirit damned war, where do you believe we stand." I smiled at the girl who had replied, she was two or so years younger than me.

"My name is Hoshi, the sour goat-horse there is Akemi." She added as an afterthought.

"Prince Zuko, that is soon to be Fire Lord Zuko, has not only joined by is helping in lead the rebellion, there are benders from every nation in the rebellion, even fire benders." I added, trying to sway them over.

"What can we do?" A girl Katara's age asked nervously, her eyes darting about, "we're just women."

"Women can fight," I pointed out, "if not women can go where men cannot, spread the news discreetly, women are strong enough to know what will protect their families and do what it takes to save their children." I persuaded. To my shock Akemi snarled and stepped into verbal debate.

"And risk the lives of our children while carrying out your dirty business? You think that we cannot tell that you're not one of us in more then one way? You're not a mother, I bet you aren't even married which gives you no place among us, no right to talk of what women can and cannot do."

"I'm engaged." I state firmly. It was a bit of a white lie but I had to regain the situation.

"I have already lost three children to illness and lack of food. I watched as my baby struggled to drink my milk through convulsions because all the best doctors are in the army, I watched as my father and brother marched off to war and then my husband. How can you understand the pain that we have to live through, how can you claim to know our pain?" Akemi was right, it stung but she was right about me, their situation, all of it. I couldn't imagine what she had to live through. Perhaps… the best way to win their favour was another method.

"Your right, I can't know, but I know one day I will have a child, and I want that baby to be born to peace. I want to never have to see a little child beg on the streets because she has lost her parents to this war. I want to stop mothers from watching their children die over and over. I want for this war to be over once and for all so that no one will have to suffer like that again." I replied. As I spoke my voice, still quiet became more fervent. I was telling the truth I just hoped the women here could see that. There was silence.

"I can't help you, and I won't. But I won't tell anyone about this." Akemi decided. She turned and walked away. I watched as a good seven women walked away agreeing with Akemi. Hoshi and three others stayed.

"I'll help." Hoshi stated with a tiny smile. I returned it and the four of us began to discuss what each woman could do to help the rebellion.

A few moments later I'm touched on the shoulder. Jumping I spin, terrified that someone had heard what we were discussing. Luckily its just Su Sen. The men he was talking to had vanished to I assumed he had finished his task in this village.

"Maddison, we need to go." He stated, gesturing at the sky which had begun a slow decent from noon. I nodded, the entire group had agreed to meet back an hour after noon.

"Be careful." I warned the three women before following Su Sen out of the village.

We walked together in silence. The camp was a good half an hour walk from the village we had been visiting, for others it would be longer.

Katara was making lunch when we returned. She glanced up for a moment and waved before beginning to stir the soup again. A litter farther away Aang and Zuko were working on their bending. Aang was doing really well with firebending, it made sense after all, both firebending and airbending relied upon breath control as a key component. A few moments later Aang wandered over to a rock and lay down, breathing heavily. Chuckling I walked over to him, sitting beside his head.

"Everything alright Aang?"

"I'm fine." He stated tiredly, "But Toph is determined to teach me metalbending, I keep telling her the avatar can't master the secondary bending types but she won't listen."

"Secondary bending types?" I echoed confusion wrinkling my brow. Aang nodded.

"Each bending ability has a secondary type, for fire its lightening, for earth its metal. Both the water and air secondary types are forbidden, they're too dangerous." He replied. I frowned. Something Aang said was giving me a strong sense of Deja Vu. I closed my eyes and tried to think about where I had heard something like that before.

"Wait," I suddenly remembered, "back when we were fighting Azula on the drill... you commented about metalbending. Toph hadn't even begun that yet." Aang sat up and gave me a guilty grin. Momo flew overhead and landed on the boy's head, chittering for attention.

"Yeah... Toph didn't create metalbending, it existed before I was born. The thing is... very few people learned it and those that did... they kept the bending style to themselves, they didn't take on apprentices. By the time I was born most of them had died out. I'm not surprised that it was completely forgotten in the hundred years that I was stuck in that iceberg. I whistled appreciatively, that was impressive.

"Are you planning on telling Toph?" I asked. Aang shrugged.

"I don't know, I mean she was really proud about creating an entirely new bending form, I don't want to take that away from her." I nodded thoughtfully.

"Well even so, I don't think she would be that disappointed, this is Toph after all, it would take a miracle to deflate that ego." Aang snickered at my words and nodded.

"Speaking of Toph I need to go work on my earthbending now." He said, noticing the earthbending girl walk in with Iluq. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Take a break, you've been working non-stop for over a week. Even the avatar deserves some rest." I pointed out causing him to grin weakly at me and begin tickling Momo's tummy. The little animal groaned in delight and stretched out across Aang's lap, delighted to be getting the attention he had been starved of for a while. Grinning I stood again and wandered over to Zuko.

"How is he doing?" I asked, glancing at Aang.

"Really well," Zuko admitted, "I'm still not sure I'm the right person to be teaching him though, my uncle would have been a much better choice."

"Maybe," I agreed, "but maybe you aren't giving yourself enough credit." He nodded and opened his mouth to enter when Smellerbee and Longshot arrive. I glance around. While I was talking to Aang everyone else had arrived, they were the last group.

"Everyone! I need to talk to you!" Smellerbee calls, her voice loud and clear, but still husky for a females. I wondered what had happened to make her voice sound like that or if she had been born that way. We all left our places and walked over. Jet got there first, he seemed really worried, not that I blamed him, after all Smellerbee and Longshot were his closest companions. They were his family.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked, looking at the worried expression on the girl's face. Smellerbee glanced at Longshot then looked back at us.

"The town we were in was very nervous, everyone was scared. Longshot and I asked around to find out why and apparently people have gone missing from that town."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Jet asked, looking around at the rest of us.

"Fifteen people have vanished over the last season." Smellerbee replied, "This is serious and from the sounds of it it's an angry spirit that takes one person every full moon." The blood drained out of my face. Hamma. Oh god, it was Hamma. My companions instantly noticed the change in my demeanour.

"Maddi?" Aang asked, "What is it." I shook my head. I didn't want to face this, Hamma had creeped me out when I was on the other side of the screen, before this was real life.

"Its not a spirit." I explained, I realized my hands were shaking, "Its a person." There was silence as everyone thought about what I had just said. The silence was deafening.

"We're going." Katara stated determinedly, "I'm not going to stand by and watch this happen."

"I agree." Zuko stated before looking at me, "Maddi what can you tell us of this?" I sighed.

"I promised myself I wouldn't rely on my knowledge anymore." I muttered before shaking my head. Hama was extremely dangerous, my companions needed to know just what they were taking on. With a deep sigh I continued.

"Its not a spirit, its a woman, a woman named Hama. She's from the southern water tribe, one of the waterbenders who were taken as prisoners of war before Katara was born. She's taking her anger out on the firenation by kidnapping villagers on the night of every full moon." It was Katara's turn to go pale. I could almost see the thoughts running through her head.

"We have to help. Maybe I can talk to her, convince her that not everyone in the fire nation is evil." Katara stated. Just like that it was decided.

"We should all go." Su Sen added, "We don't want to risk the wrong thing getting out at the wrong time," he glanced at Zuko, "no offence but with you being the next in line for the fire nation throne, that makes you an ideal target. You don't mind being called Lee again, do you?" Zuko shook his head.

"No, I don't and I agree, we should all go together. There is safety in numbers."

* * *

We went to sleep early that night and woke up early in the morning. Quietly, we packed up camp and left, leaving Appa and Momo to stay in the place where we had been camping partially for discretion and partly to keep them safe.

Unlike the other villages we had come across in the last few days this one was almost thriving in comparison. It was eerie. What was even more eerie was the way all the villagers acted. Most eyed us sceptically, some even backed away.

"What is going on?" I muttered. Aang, who had been standing to my left shrugged at my words.

"I don't know but they're all really scared."

"Could this just be from the disappearances?" I asked from the corner of my mouth, "or something else?"

"Well the full moon was quite recent. They might be suspicious of one another?" Aang suggested. I shrugged. I had no answers.

"Either way we need to do something." Katara muttered, coming up from behind to join the conversation, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Not really." I admitted quietly, "I was hoping that I wouldn't have to deal with her. She..." I trailed off then sighed, "she scared me more then any other villainous character. I mean I hate Zhao and Ozai but her... I was – am actually afraid of her." I shifted uncomfortably, not liking the amount of sharing that I was doing. Katara nodded. We fell silent for a moment, taking in the town's environment and feeling. I felt a prickle at the back of my neck. Spinning I looked for anyone. No one was looking at me. I looked away and instantly I felt a prickle at the back of my neck again. This time when I spun I did see someone.

It was a young man, about Sokka's age, staring at me with blank eyes. He had pale skin... pale for even a firenation man, which I assumed he was as he had the familiar black hair and gold eyes. His skin looked like paper. His eyes widened when he realized that I was looking at him. He stepped forward. There was a pale blue glow around him... a spirit?

"Aang." I called, catching the young airbender's attention. Aang turned to look at me questioningly before his eyes landed on the man who was suddenly a great deal closer to us then he had been before. Aang's eyes widened as he glanced between the young man and me but when he moved towards the spirit... the young man vanished into thin air.

"Aang, Pala? What's going on?" Katara asked in confusion.

"I think... I think we just saw a ghost." Aang said

* * *

We found a nice inn to stay in that night which had neither Hamma or the young man's spirit. Or so I thought.

It was completely dark, nothing but darkness. I knew I was asleep but it was a strange self-awareness. Then before me the young man from the village appeared.

"Who are you?" I asked. He didn't move, didn't blink. He just stared at me and then turned and began to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going? Who are you? Why are you here?" I cried. I hadn't been contacted by spirits in a long time and for some reason it was a strange relief to see one again, even if he was a human once.

He turned to abruptly I almost got an afterimage of his back. He just stared at me blankly until something dark trickled from his eyes. At first I thought they were tears then I realized that tears didn't come that thick… or dark. It wasn't until a similar liquid started running from his nose that I realized what it was.

Blood.

I recoiled in shock and fear as blood began to dribble from the other side of his eyes as well. He reached for me flipping over his hands to reveal a precise hole the size of pinky drilled where all the major veins connected his arm to his hand.

I jerked awake with a scream that could put horror films to shame, although the in all truth I felt like I was in one. In my ears another voice echoed my own scream. Aang.

"Pala what-" Katara began, I bolted from the room, ignoring both her words and the choice swears coming from Smellerbee and Toph's mouths. Aang seemed to have had the same idea as we met halfway between the two rooms, a few of our companions blearily following us.

"Did you?" Aang began.

"The boy from before right?" I added, looking for what I already knew would be an agreement.

"Yes. Did you see-"

"What are you doing?" We turned to look at Sokka who had the strangest expression on his face that I had ever seen.

"Maybe we should explain to everyone." I suggested to Aang who nodded.

We went back to our respective rooms to wake anyone else who was still sleeping (which earned me a dagger to the face from a pissed off Smellerbee) before joining together in the men's room as it was larger. I stayed quiet while Aang told the story of our dream and the vision of the spirit who had contacted us earlier in the day.

"I've heard of this." Iluq stated, catching our attention.

"You have?" Sokka questioned, echoing my thoughts exactly.

"When a spirit has business left over, vengeance, a lost love, something that ties them to the world they'll wait until someone comes along who has the ability to help them. In this case that's you too. Whoever he is he won't move on until you help him finish what he needs to."

"Why me? Not that I'm complaining but why would he also contact me when he has Aang?" I asked, looking around at my friends. I could tell that no one knew the answer to that question. Sighing I stood.

"Well then, Aang, you and I have a job tomorrow, as does everyone else." Su Sen nodded.

"You mentioned that Hama kept captives in a cave in the woods, we'll go looking for them, during the day of course." Katara sighed, realizing what that meant if we were following the discussion from dinner.

"Fine, I'll go try to find her. But I don't like the idea of training under someone like that." She admitted.

"Hama has some useful techniques, plus, it may help us find the captives earlier." I pointed out, earning a glare from Katara. I looked away quickly as the young waterbender stood up in a huff and left. Smellerbee and Toph followed her, eager to go back to sleep. I was the last to leave, not feeling tired anymore. I lay in bed later that night, staring up at the wooden ceiling. And trying to reach out to any of the major spirits I had been contacted by before, only to be ignored.

* * *

The next morning each of us went on our own way. Katara to look for Hama, Su Sen, Zuko, Sokka and the rest to search the woods and Aang and I to meditate and try to call up the spirit of the young man from before.

The dew soaked into the black leggings I wore as I tried to focus on a calm mind and not fall asleep. He didn't come. Finally when the sun hit its zenith I stood up. Aang cracked an eye open to see what the movement was about.

"What's wrong?" He asked, standing himself.

"Its not working, this clearly isn't going to attract that spirit. We should go through town again, perhaps he's stuck somewhere there and can't leave." Aang nodded and the two of us left the quiet grove and entered back into town. The town was unusually quiet for being midday but then again with people vanishing every month it made sense so many were terrified out of their minds.

"Aang! Pala!" Katara's voice caught my attention.

"Hi, any luck?" I asked. Katara shook her head.

"No, but apparently Hama was the eighth disappearance, I think you're wrong about this one." I stared at Katara blankly. Hamma was the eighth disappearance? That didn't make any sense at all. Frowning deep in thought I tried to realize what was going on. Katara ignored me though, walking past me to greet Aang and then leave to join the others on their search. My mind was spinning, spirits, Hamma going missing, something was very different here compared to the episodes. I began to feel a crawling sense of dread. What if I was wrong entirely and Hama was innocent? I shook my head. My effects had never changed what had already happened. Hama had been taking people for a long time, almost before this journey started, there was no way my existence could change her that drastically. She had to have vanished to take suspicion off her or something, to mark her as a 'poor victim' I felt a tingle of fear run down my spine as I realized what else it allowed her to do. With her as a 'victim' she could have all the time she wanted to hurt or torture those she had kidnapped. I turned towards Aang only to realize that Katara had left while I had been thinking and someone else had arrived.

It was the young man again. He seemed desperate this time, his eyes never looked at us, he walked in the same direction Katara had gone, moving at a brisk pace. I glanced at Aang who nodded and we followed him. He never turned around, never stumbled or seemed to think, he just kept moving straight ahead until the edge of town where he suddenly, once again, vanished into thin air.

* * *

_Katara_

The walk towards the forest was warm and uncomfortable. I didn't like the sheer excess heat of the fire nation but I had to ignore it, I had to continue on as if nothing was wrong. If I complained I might threaten the entire group by exposing us. That poor old woman, we were all suspecting her of being the criminal when she had been taken as well. A brush rustled nearby and I froze. Turning. The back of an old lady, bending down.

"Hello, ma'am?" I called, hoping to gain her attention. The woman turned. Long white hair pinned up in a large bun, a well wrinkled face and shining blue eyes. I froze. No way... the woman looked terrified for a split second and she scrambled away from me.

"Wait, I'm not going to hurt you... are you Hama?" I asked. She blinked and stood before nodding.

"Yes, and you are?"

"My names Katara, I'm from the southern water tribe, my friends and I are trying to find out what's gonging on in this town." I explained. Her face lit up.

"I'm from the southern water tribe as well." She stated, her face breaking out into a smile. It was so easy to slip into conversation with Hama.

"When I heard people were disappearing I vanished too. I didn't want to end up like the poor people who came into town on the full moon. Its a spirit I'm sure of it, wreaking vengeance for some unknown crime." She explained as she poured tea into a cup she had given me... using waterbending. I smiled brightly as our conversation grew and she promised to teach me a few things she had learned while here in the fire nation.

* * *

__Maddi__

Aang and I were making dinner when the rest of the group entered, minus Katara. Worry spiked through me as I quickly approached Sokka.

"Did Katara meet up with you?" Sokka shook his head.

"No, why? Was she supposed to. I thought she was looking for Hama?"

"She was but Hama wasn't in town so she was going to join up with you guys." The alarmed looks that were shared instantly told me everything. Katara hadn't met up with them... she was missing. Cussing with a few choice words of my own I strode towards the door... only for it to swing open and Katara entered. I sighed in relief at her appearance. She was okay.

"Are you okay?" Sokka cried rushing up to his sister to check on her, leaving her very annoyed.

"I'm fine Sokka, I met Hama." Then she looked at me.

"I can't believe You had me suspecting that poor old woman." Katara cried.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, my heart sinking. I should have seen this coming.

"She ran off because she was scared of being attacked herself and to draw the real attacker out in the open!"

"I'll admit," I stated calmly, "it was clever of her to pretend to be a victim, I didn't see that coming."

"You didn't see that coming or the story didn't?" I recoiled as if slapped. Everyone else looked shocked as well. Zuko even took a step forward but was held back by Kanan.

"Excuse me?" I cried, striding forwards so that Katara and I were facing each other, inches apart.

"You heard me, you act all high and mighty because you know the future but because of you we're fighting for our lives!" Katara shouted. I felt sick, what was she accusing me of?

"I didn't cause this war!" I shouted.

"No but it was you who changed our destinies, why do you get the right to waltz in here and say what was fine as it was and what needed changing! It's because of your manipulation that so many people are dead!" I froze and where my body had felt hot and fiery it was suddenly filled with ice. I knew what she was talking about now and it was something that I had tried desperately to forget over the last weeks.

__None of us had seen it coming.__

__Instead of a couple of soldiers to teeing the villagers and entire brigade of troops, fire nation soldiers arrived. I still didn't know why what I had done to change that, was it the schedule when we arrived verses when we would have? Was it something else? Either way we had gone to sleep that night content that in the morning we would help clean the river and be gone and instead we were woken to the sounds of screams, crackling fire, and steel meeting steel.__

__I jerked out of my sleeping bag my heart in my stomach. Looking at the sky I could see ash and smoke. I lurched towards the river town, only to be restrained by Su Sen glancing around I realized that everyone else had woken up too. Katara was thrashing against her brother's hold, screaming bloody murder. There was a yelp from Sokka and suddenly she was running, her brother groaning on the ground in pain. I aimed for a slightly lesser damage and crushed Su Sen's foot, breaking free and taking off at her heels.__

__"Pala! Katara!" I heard Sokka shout but I paid no mind. I crested the ridge only to freeze.__

__The entire town was on fire. Soldiers paraded through the burning wood, cutting down anything that moved. In the river anyone who tried to swim to safety were mowed down by the equivalent of a skidoo.__

__My legs collapsed under me at the carnage, tears stained my face. I knew that the images I was seeing and the faces of all those people would haunt me until the day I died.__

I stared at Katara, my voice choking. Mutely I turned and ran, fleeing the scene in front of me and the eyes that knew I was accountable for those deaths.

There was a knock on my door.

"Maddi."

"Zuko not now." I snapped, brushing tears away. There was silence.

"Call me if you need me." He stated softly before leaving.

I sat there quietly on my bed, shaking. All that death, was it because I intervened or was it always going to exist? After all death had been just not mentioned in the show but that last town... none of them even came close to dying in the show. It hurt. Had my changes done that?

Another knock came to my door.

"Zuko, not now." I called back. I needed time to think.

"Its not Zuko." Sokka's voice echoed. I paused then slowly walked to the door. I opened it only to find myself face to face with both Sokka and Katara.

"What-" Sokka stepped in, pushing Katara in as well before sitting against the door.

"I'm not moving until you apologize" He stated firmly, staring at his sister. I stared at Sokka in shock, the determination in his eyes. He was serious.

Katara and I awkwardly stared at each other. I swore someone could kick the wall that stood between us. It felt as solid as actual brick. I looked away then moved to sit on my bed.

"I'm... Sorry." Katara stated. I snorted.

"No, you're not." Katara jerked at my cold words and looked up at me in surprise.

"That's not true... I..." She looked away. My heart twisted. It was my sister and I all over again.

"Katara... I... what you said. It hurt. A lot." I heard the waver in my voice before swallowing it back. Katara scuffed her shoe against the ground.

"I know. I didn't mean it."

"No, at the time you did, but now you regret it." Katara looked shocked before timidly nodding.

"You're not the only one who's done something like this you know." I told her, "It doesn't mean I'll forgive you but... I understand where you're coming from." I gave a weak smile.

"It wasn't all that long ago that I was doing the same."

"But we agreed that we were family, family doesn't-"

"Family does." I disagreed, catching her off guard.

"Katara I had a little sister remember. The two of us treated each other awfully at times. I hate to say it but in that case... I was the one who did the worst. I told her that she wasn't important to me, that I didn't care what happened to her and some book was better then she was." The echoes of that fight flitted back into my mind.

"It nearly destroyed our relationship, all because I wouldn't step down from my pride." Katara looked at me shocked. It was the first time I had ever mentioned how bad my sister and my relationship had gotten.

"If I could go back and change one thing in my past that would be on the top ten list. Thing is I mess up, a lot, I'm not perfect but I hold myself to brutal standards because," I choked, "if I am so strict on myself maybe I won't make my old mistakes again." Katara was silent.

"You and I? Unfortunately we're a lot alike. We get so worked up about something we just spew whatever we can to hurt someone, to prove ourselves right." Katara nodded slow and sat down beside me. The song thirteen year old me ran though my head. That was practically the relationship between Katara and I. She was in many ways a younger version of myself. And it scared me. I hadn't become wise to my bad traits until I was fifteen and it took me another year before I had even improved upon it enough that there was a difference.

"I just don't see how Hama can be evil." Katara stated, "She's just an old, scared woman... like gran-gran... I didn't mean what I said."

"I know." I told her. I remembered myself all too many times just telling people cruel things just so they felt bad. I understood Katara's actions far too well.

Now that I was on the other side of it I realized just why it had been so hard for me to make friends back in middle school.

"I can't 'just forgive you', but... I'll try." I told her softly.

"I'll... I'll try to not do this anymore." She replied.

"Unfortunately, we're family. We're going to fight more viciously then anyone else." I pointed out. Katara nodded. There were no smiles, no hugs. What had been said couldn't be forgotten. But perhaps, overtime, forgiven.

* * *

Over the next few days Katara and I avoided each other besides the occasional word or two. It was awkward between us, which was to be expected. It had taken months before my sister and I had been able to fall into our old relationship once again. Everyone else was also acting distant from Katara. Only Sokka and Aang were acting as though things were normal. Aang because he had forgiven Katara the second I told her that I would work towards moving past what had happened, and Sokka because he had been sitting against the door the whole time and had heard the whole conversation. It had shocked him, my admittance that I had done similar things when I was younger but apparently the description was accurate. He had approached me sometime later asking about Katara and what it was like to live like I had. I was honest, that it was our faults for refusing to admit that we could be wrong, that our pride got in the way far too often and it wasn't until we made a mistake that could ruin a relationship we cared greatly for that we would realize our mistakes.

I didn't tell any of them how Katara's words effected me. All I could see when I closed my eyes was the mutilated bodies floating in the river, the fire, the charred remains. The screams echoed in my ears. My nightmares returned with a viciousness that I had never faced before, the faces of every dead person I had seen floating before me, screaming that it was my fault that they were dead. That their families were mourning them. It was on the night of the second day in the midst of one of those nightmares that the young man came again.

He stood before me, once again surrounded by darkness. I wasn't scared any more. After all I had seen in my nightmares I didn't think there was anything he could do to scare me. He watched me, face expressionless until he strode forward, hands up, exposing the drilled holes on his arms again. I didn't move. For the first time his face changed to smile. Reaching forward, he placed his hand on my forehead.

He stood before me, once again surrounded by darkness. I wasn't scared any more. After all I had seen in my nightmares I didn't think there was anything he could do to scare me. He watched me, face expressionless until he strode forward, hands up, exposing the drilled holes on his arms again. I didn't move. For the first time his face changed to smile. Reaching forward, he placed his hand on my forehead.

A jolt of electricity ran through my body. It didn't hurt at all, just surprised me. He vanished from before my eyes. Suddenly I felt as if my body was moving on its own, I looked around. My eyes were open, I was awake but this wasn't the bedroom I had been in before. This was a stranger's room. I wandered out of the room into the main room of the small house. Out the door and into the street. Then I felt panic. I struggled, tried to scream but I was trapped in my own body. Glancing up at the sky (my eyes were the only part of me I could move) I saw that it was a full moon tonight. Fear spiked through me. I knew what this was. Hama. I walked to the forest, now I was really panicking. I tried to fight, but failed. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a pool of water. The reflection I saw made me pause. It wasn't me... this body was the body young man spirit. Now I knew what had happened to him. He was a victim of Hama.

I woke up with a cry. Shooting out of bed I rushed into the hallway. No one was around and I could tell that it was night. Rushing outside I looked up at the sky and a feeling of dread filled me. It was a full moon tonight. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I do that? Why didn't I move past the argument and the guilt, accept it and move on? _Because you're a coward _I told myself harshly, _you're all fine and dandy until you have to be accountable for something bad. _I rushed through the town, into the woods. To my surprise the spirit of the young man appeared to my left. Spinning on my heel I followed him. I could hear the shouts now, cries of anger and warning. Su Sen rushed by me.

"Maddi watch out!" I ducked, just missing his sword, as it sailed over me. Damn, how many of my companions were under that witch's control? I avoided another swing from Su Sen and a punch from Kanan. Lunging out of the woods and into the open I froze. Hama was controlling everyone but Iluq and Katara, both waterbenders fighting viciously. Iluq just barely keeping control of his own body while Katara lashed out, attacking with a intensity I had never seen from her before. I froze and backed away, hoping Hama hadn't spotted me. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the young man spirit rise up into the treetops. Watching carefully I realized that one of my companions was up there, struggling. It was Longshot, trying desperately not to shoot. The spirit vanished into Longshot's body. Longshot stiffened, his bow angle changed and he let loose. I was distracted by Kanan's cry.

"Maddi! Watch out!" I dodged again, just missing an attack. Hama's head turned, her sights setting on me, just in time for Longshot's arrow to run into her shoulder. Hama screamed in agony. Her hand reached out and I felt my body stiffen as I lost control. I tried to fight, tried to struggle but nothing happened.

"If you want to release your friends you'll have to bloodbend." Hama cackled.

"Bitch!" I shrieked at her. Hama ignored my cry, still leering at Katara.

Katara looked up anger and pure unadulterated hate. I could feel a ripple rush through my body as Katara grabbed hold of not only me but everyone else too. I could feel Hama and Katara both battling for dominance inside my body. It was such a strange feeling, as if I was a single knot on a giant tug of war rope, moving back and forth to their will.

"Why are you doing this?" Katara shouted at Hama, "What did those people do to you?"

"What did those people do! The entire fire nation is made of scum! They kidnapped me for their own, took away my bending, my family, and then when I was hopeless and restrained passed me about for their pleasuring! I was nothing. I learned how to bloodbend using the rats that lived there. I freed myself and I swore that they would suffer, the entire nation would suffer. Do you think that this is the first village I've desecrated? One day I will make everything in this damn country know my suffering!"

"I know that you lost your child-" Katara began causing me to do a double take. Her child? Since when-

"I didn't lose it, the vermin was born healthy. I made sure it suffered just like the man who should have fathered it." Katara flinched and gaped at the woman. She had killed her own child just for being born half-fire nation? It wasn't uncommon now that I thought about it. The majority of rape victims in my world had abortions, in this world they didn't have that technology and very few women would raise a child when they were raped by its father.

Suddenly all pressure from one side of the tug-of-war vanished. I turned. Hama was choking, her eyes wide as she fell to the side, body limp. An arrow sticking out of her left temple.

I hit the ground as I was released. Around me I could hear the thumps as the others did the same. Aang, who had been under Katara's influence flopped on the ground beside Jet who he had been battling. For a while we were all quiet, breathing heavily. After a few moments Sokka stood, looking pale.

"We need to see if there are any survivors in the caves." I staggered to my feet, the others following suit. Longshot's body fell from the tree, still stiff. To my surprise the young man spirit emerged from within him and smiling at me turned towards a cave I hadn't noticed until now.

"This way." I called, following the young man. Aang came to stand at my side while the rest of our companions followed.

The cave was a long set of tunnels that connected to a huge underground cavern. Inside was a scene to put horror shows to shame. Bodies, hundreds of bodies hung from the ceiling, walls and stalagmites. Illuminated by the fire Zuko bent for us. The smell was overwhelming. Death was everywhere.

My eyes were caught by the body of one particular young man, hung by his wrists from the roof. I recognized him immediately. This was the spirit who had been following us since we had entered this village.

"What happened?" Su Sen muttered gazing at a young woman. I approached and carefully examined an old man. Something about the appearance of all the dead seemed familiar. Then I remembered. When I was fourteen my parents had taken our family to a special Egyptian exhibit at a nearby museum where they had a few mummies without any wrappings. These people looked like those long dead. They had been dried like fruit, stripped of any moisture. I staggered over to one side and vomited up whatever I had in my stomach.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked, coming over and pulling my braid away from any danger of vomit. I shook my head, tears pouring from my eyes.

"She drained them." I explained quietly, my voice echoing in the large chamber, "She completely drained them of blood when they were still alive."

* * *

_A/N:  
_**Please read this Author's Note!**

First off I want to apologize for the long time it took for me to get this chapter out. Secondly I want to point out that, in case you didn't notice this chapter is the longest I have ever written and personally I think it is one of the best. Now I have some news in regards to this story. There are seven chapters left and based on the time there is left I will not have these finished by September so there are some changes to my plan.

First off all the stories I have listed to come out in September are now coming in December(maybe November, whenever my winter break starts). I will use the time between to finish both Change the World and Ripples in the World, as well as to get ahead on Life Never Ends, the sequel to the series. This actually works out better as this allows me to get ahead on Life Never Ends so that none of you will have to deal with the sporadic updates that came with Change the World. My goal is to have a minimum of eight chapters written before I publish a story. This will be a bumper in case of writers block or some sort of problem stopping me from writing(something we all have experienced).

Secondly because of this change I'm going to do something I never thought I would do, I'm writing a preview for Life Never Ends right here. So please read and enjoy.

* * *

Now for the preview for Life Never Ends

All stories must end but what most people forget is life doesn't. Even an end for one person is a beginning for another. For Maddi, Zuko, and the rest of the Gaang the defeat of Ozai was just he beginning. Politics, assassinations, rebellions, budding romances, and children are just the beginning of the next adventure. Life as adults, rulers, war heroes, and parents.

\- follows comic plot line and after.

"Azula, please, you're my sister, I don't want to lose the last member of my family." - Zuko

"We can't win let another war break out! We have given everything for peace!" - Maddi

"Welcome to Toph Bei Fong's metal bending academy!" - Toph

"Suki, I love you, but I don't know what to do anymore." - Sokka

"That was avatar Yang Chen! I think she's trying to warn me!" - Aang

"Aang, I'm pregnant." - Katara

"I am blessed to have lived to see this beautiful sight." - Iroh

"I will not give up everything I live for to be your wife." - Suki

Warning the above sentences have been taken out of context and therefore make assumptions at your own risk.


	49. Preparations

Chapter 49

Preparations

Preparations

We spent a long time together moving out of our grief. There were just no words to fix it. It was a slow acceptance of what was happening. During that time Katara was slowly forgiven. Things were still awkward between the two of us but I had forgiven her. A little bit of reminding myself what I had been like at that age was a good kick towards forgiveness as well. I knew that she was going to be tearing herself apart on the inside.

Slowly the grief was accepted and we all fall into a familiar routine.

* * *

That night I watched as everyone prepared to go to sleep. Katara retired to her bedroll beside Aang who snuggled in close to her. Smellerbee and Longshot were sleeping in a similar position as well. It seemed that those who were in relationships were sleeping closer together then the others. I also noticed that Kanan and Iluq were sleeping rather close together. I wondered if Iluq was aware of Kanan's feelings. Shaking my head I pulled my sleeping bag to the far side of the clearing.

"May I join you?" I looked up. Zuko, again with his bedroll in his hands.

"I thought you didn't want to sleep together?" He shook his head and put his bedroll down.

"It works for them." I frowned in confusion before looking over to who he was pointing at. Katara and Aang, snuggled in close and sleeping peacefully. He was right, Katara and Aang's nightmares had lessened once the two began sleeping side by side. I glanced at Zuko and shrugged, placing my bedroll down beside his. It was worth a try at least. The two of us lay down, Zuko carefully making sure our lower bodies were separated by a blanket. Prude, I thought, leaning into his hard chest. For a while we lay there.

"We really aren't the best at relationships are we?" I muttered, "A twelve and fourteen year old figured out things better then we did, and faster too." Zuko didn't respond. Glancing over my shoulder I realized that he was asleep. Smiling to myself I made myself comfortable and closed my eyes.

I woke up that night with no memory of whatever dream had woken me. I began to move only to discover I was held down by strong, warm arms. Zuko had wrapped himself around me like I was some sort of teddybear. I chuckled, I wasn't going anywhere, that was for sure. I twisted slightly to glance at Zuko. Asleep, his face was smooth, all except his scar where the convoluted line of melted flesh still seemed to twist and pull at the rest of his face. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never touched it. Zuko snored slightly, and I realized that he was drooling. I was suddenly glad by hair was still in its braid, tucked away from his mouth, I didn't want to be washing drool out of it. I didn't mind the drool, for some reason it made him more human and less like a celebrity that I didn't deserve to associate with. Sighing I turned back to him and closed my eyes. I was such an idiot, I thought as I drifted off to sleep again. I shouldn't hate myself for something I couldn't have stopped. Besides, my companions still needed me. There was a life for me here now, and sometime in the future, a daughter.

* * *

The next day found us looking over the small island were we had agreed to meet the rebellion for the Day of Black Sun and already it was full of fire nation people.

"By the spirits." Kanan muttered, eyes wide as he looked at the sheer amount of people who had gathered on the tiny island already.

"Appa! Yip yip!" Aang cried excitedly, eyes glowing as the bison propelled himself closer to the island. Upon seeing the familiar form a loud cheer exploded from the island. Appa landed with a whoosh and in seconds there were people cheering, shouting Aang and Zuko's names, the cries seemed to echo through the small bay.

"Alright that's enough, back away, give them some space." A familiar voice cried. Katara and Sokka's faces lit up at the same moment and they launched themselves off Appa to greet Bato, who was standing there face bright with pride. I chuckled and slid off Appa, walking over to greet Bato myself. It had been a long time since I had seen the man.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked Bato with a broad grin, looking up at the man who was like an uncle to her.

"You're father sent me ahead to scout out this place, make sure it really was deserted. He looked around with an exaggerated movement before lowering himself slightly.

"It was empty when I originally arrived here. Now though, I'm starting to think its making people come up from the ground." Laughter blossomed from Katara at Bato's words while Sokka shook his head at the corniness of his father's best friend. I decided to give the three of them some room and backed off, looking for my other companions. They were busy unloading Appa, Momo flying about and being an overall pain. As if to prove that point the lemur landed on my head, chittered and curled up. I laughed slightly then picked him up, earning myself an indignant screech as he flew off. Shaking my head I joined the others in unloading the poor bison and allowing him a chance to recuperate.

After Appa was unpacked the large bison wandered off to graze and I flopped down upon one of the piles. The battle was about to take place and I felt confident, knowing that we were prepared far better then in the original timeline.

I hadn't realized that Katara and Aang had wandered off until I heard a shriek of delight. Turning, curious I saw Katara wrap her arms around Aang's shoulders. Aang was beaming excitedly and after a moment the two were surrounded by a beaming Bato and Sokka. I turned to look at Kanan in confusion.

"Did I just miss something?" I asked, unsure what all the celebration was for. Kanan shook his head.

"Aang just proposed to Katara." I spun back to the cheering crowd in shock. Aang and Katara were deep in a passionate kiss. That was... a lot quicker than I had expected. I noticed that it wasn't Aang and Katara who were crowded by well wishers the most but Sokka and Bato.

"And what's going on with that?" I questioned, gesturing at Bato and Sokka who were smiling and accepting congratulations. Kanan sent me a strange look and shook his head. I sent an annoyed glance at Kanan and headed towards the crowd intending to congratulate my two friends... although Aang was a little young, even for this world.

"The water tribe has become a lot more powerful." I stopped as I entered the crowd turning to see a adult soldier, fire nation by the looks of it complimenting Sokka.

"Of course, just because we're small doesn't mean we're not powerful." Sokka boasted with a grin. I smiled until the next words the man said wiped that smile off my face.

"Of course, you chose good matches for those girls, the future fire lord and avatar? The watertribe will certainly be a political force to recon with in the future." I spun on my heel and walked away. Fists clenched. Was that all I was destined to be? A pawn to be moved around? Is that all everyone would see me as because I didn't have exterior genitalia?

"Maddi?" I looked up. Zuko had come up to me, he looked worried. I nearly shoved him away. I pulled my hand back last second.

"I'm fine." My voice sounded dead, even to my own ears.

"No you're not. What's wrong?" I glanced at Zuko and sighed before tugging him away from the crowd.

"I overhead someone congratulating Sokka for getting Katara and me 'good political matches'" Zuko winced.

"You know that isn't why we're in a relationship." He told me. I nodded in agreement. I knew it but that wasn't the reason why I was so upset. It was the fact that I would always be looked upon as a lesser being. I was a nonbending woman, by all rights I shouldn't be involved in the war at all. Only women who could bend were allowed to join the army in the fire nation, the other nations weren't even that kind. Yes I wanted to settle down, to not have to blame myself for the death of others but I also did not want to be the weak noblewoman. It was a conflict that warred inside me. I gave a wry smile.

"Don't worry about it, it's my problem." Zuko didn't look confident but he nodded.

"When will the rest of the army get here?" Su Sen asked, coming to stand beside Zuko and I.

"Within the next few hours, the invasion is tomorrow after all." Zuko replied. Su Sen nodded as a cry rose up from one end of the island.

"You were saying?" I asked with a large grin, my moment of conflict forgotten. Su Sen and Zuko shook their heads but I had already taken off to join the rest of the throng rushing towards the other side of the island.

As I crested the ridge I stopped, holding a hand over my eyes to shield myself from the brilliant sun. There, on the ocean was a small fleet of ships coming towards us. There were maybe twelve ships, not a lot I noticed with a sudden feeling of disappointment, but hopefully each was packed full with people. I rejoined the rest of the people, albeit at a slower pace than before. When I noticed some people had stopped moving I pushed through them. Several sent me angry stares but backed off when they recognized who I was. It was a little strange to be treated with that much respect from total strangers.

When I finally made it to the front of the crowd I realized that I had made a mistake in my interpretation of the fleet approaching. The numbers may have been small but the ships were far larger and of a superior make then the ones I recognized from the Southern Water Tribe. It was the northern fleet that was here. I found myself gaping as fifteen large ships pulled into shore. There must have been some waterbenders on them as a pier was formed out of solid ice. Then the boats began to unload. Off each boat close to twenty people departed, all wearing watertribe garb and carrying large packs. I noticed with a small smile that at least ten of these people were women. Healers probably but perhaps a few of them would fight as well. I didn't know what changes might have occurred since we have been at the south pole. After the twenty each left the ship more people appeared. A grin spread across my face as I began to see people I recognized. The Hippo and Boulder from Earth Rumble Six and the swamp benders all disembarking. Then there was a shout. I glanced over in the direction. Several dark shapes had emerged from under the water. The people around me were pointing and gasping at the miracle. I smiled, Teo and his father were here.

There was a great deal more submarines then there was regular ships, at least two dozen and each was huge. As they came up to the beach the submarines moved until they formed a long line across the beach. One after another each hatch opened to reveal more watertribe men, Teo and his father, and scores of other people that I was unable to name. Some were even complete strangers.

"Dad!" Two blue blurs brushed past me to tackle a familiar face. I laughed outright as Chieftain Hakoda was piratically thrown to the ground by the force of his children. It seemed like Katara had finally forgiven her father for leaving her and was just as happy to see him as her brother. Shaking my head I moved away from the happy family and to a pair of men who I recognized immediately, despite the younger's new facial hair.

"Haru! Tyro!" I called, walking up. The two men turned at my call. I blinked in surprise upon noticing how much hair Tyro had lost in the months that I had last seen him. On the other hand though I could tell the man had clearly gained both weight and muscle.

"Maddi." Haru laughed, walking over to meet me. His father followed close behind.

"Its good to see you Maddison." Tyro stated with a nod. I smiled warmly and nodded back.

"I agree. How has life been treating you two?" I asked, looking between the two. Even in real life I wasn't a fan of Haru's facial hair, it really was not necessary in my opinion. Of course, that was my opinion, it was his face after all, he got last word on it.

"Well, Haru found a girl and is now engaged." Tyro stated proudly, causing Haru to blush. The corners of my eyes crinkled. Good for Haru, he deserved a nice girl.

I noticed everyone else leaving, heading up the island. I stayed behind, lagging in the back and happily chatting with Haru and his father. Haru's future wife was named Isna and apparently she was an incredible cook. She was also pregnant with the Warden's child. Apparently the warden of that old prison that we had spent a few days at, much like I had suspected, wasn't opposed to sampling the women of prison he 'protected'. Isna was one of the unfortunate women who found themselves warming the warden's bed at night. The thought made me want to vomit.

"What is your plan with the child?" I asked. Both of them obviously hated the child, as would any earth kingdom person who knew of his heritage, at least any earth kingdom person who lived anywhere near Haru's village.

"Isna and I don't know yet. We were thinking of giving it to a family who couldn't bare without letting them know. The problem is the child could be a firebender, any earthkingdom family would hate it very quickly." I frowned deeply. He had a valid point, the child needed someone who would love it.

"If the child survives..." I stated, knowing the chances were there that the child might not, "give it to me. I'll find it a good home in the fire nation or the colonies. Does that sound appropriate?" Haru and Tyro both gaped at me.

"You would do that?" Haru finally stuttered. I nodded.

"Of course, you've done so much for us already. Its only fair. Besides, I could easily pass him off as an orphan. If no one takes him in I have a few ideas that might work." I stayed close lipped after that. I had a few plans that I could suggest for the betterment of the fire nation. The only issue would be to see the firenation's finances. Well, finances and the general opinion of the people. The finances would have to be judged first though. Wars were well known for bankrupting nations back in my world after all, who was to say the same wasn't true here? My plans, though would have to wait until the war was over before I could even mention them to anyone.

"Maddi- Oh! Haru, Tyro!" Aang swooped down from nowhere, glider in hand and grinning brightly.

"Hi Aang." I chuckled, watching with warm eyes as the young avatar shook hands with Haru and his father.

"I'd love to stay but we've all got to get up island," Aang explained, "Sokka and Katara's dad is going to make a speech soon and everyone needs to be there." With that the young airbender took to the sky. I shook my head in exasperation but sped up anyway. I was excited and I too wanted to hear the speech. As I crested the same ridge I had stood on to look out over the water I discovered just how many people had come here today. The entire place was crowded with people. It was a far cry from the maybe hundred people who had been shown in the original storyline. There had to be at least a thousand people from every nation and part of the world. The only group I knew to be missing was the Kyoshi warriors and I was hoping to do something about that particular fact sooner rather than later. I didn't push my way to the front this time as I was content to stand in the back with Tyro and Haru. I squinted at the large pedestal up front. There was a shape in blue, no there were several as well as two in red. I couldn't see anything more then the basic shapes from this distance. It was incredible and overwhelming with just how many people were here.

One of the blue shapes stepped forward.

"Hello." Hakoda's voice pierced through the crowd like an arrow. Strong enough to even reach where we were now. The entire crowd fell silent.

"For those of you who do not know me, I am chief Hakoda of the southern watertibe. I have been elected to explain the plan to everyone so I would like to thank you for both your support and cooperation before I begin." I glanced at Haru.

"Chief Hakoda's good."

"Shhh." I frowned but turned back to listening to Sokka and Katara's father.

"As you all know one of the main points of this plan is that Aang will confront the fire lord during the eclipse. However, there is a good chance that this may not happen. If that is the case then know we will still have what it takes to defeat him, it will simply make the task a little harder." I gave up and leaned back. There was no way I would be able to make out Hakoda's movements or face from this distance. I would have to just listen.

"There will be two forces. The first will attack using the submarines to enter the bay. The second is going to be taking a more difficult route. Group two will be attacking the capital from the other side." There was a cry of surprise from the crowd.

"Yes it will be difficult, but it will also be unexpected which gives us an advantage. As we have several talented earthbenders they will play a major role in the second group." There was silence for a moment before Hakoda spoke again.

"The first group, the navy, must pass the gates of Azulon, as soon as we land we must hit hard. We will be attacking before the black sun actually occurs to increase the chances of dragging Fire Lord Ozai out into the open. Remember, the full eclipse only lasts eight minutes at most so we have a very small period of time for Aang to fight Ozai. Understand it is completely expected that this battle will last far longer. Now I'm going to list off several traits that we will be looking for in each team. If those traits apply to you that is the team you are to join. If both teams need the same then split yourselves as evenly as possible between the groups. Thank you. Now if you're an earthbender-" I tuned Hakoda out, stunned. This was incredible. The plan was detailed and well thought out. Hopefully if all went to plan we wouldn't have to wait another four months before attempting to defeat the fire lord again. I felt hope fill me. We could do this. We would win.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry its taken me this long to update. In all honestly I did not think university life would be so difficult (stupid me). Anyway just let me know what you think. And remember only 6-7 more chapters before this story is over.

Princess Kassie Out.


	50. The Black Sun

Chapter 50

Black Sun

_Maddi_

I ended up joining team two for two reasons. The first was there were very few archers to begin with (including Longshot and me there were eleven in all), the second was I wanted to see how the second team was going to progress as in the original series there was only one side they were attacking from. I wasn't alone, both Tyro, Haru and the majority of earthbenders were coming along on this side of the battle. Most waterbenders were coming from the other side and the firebenders were mixed evenly between along with any weapon wielders. I noticed that Appa had been given full battle regalia and several of the higher ups were making sure that everyone had armour or at least some kind of protection. I sniggered, imagining what that conversation was going where the swampbenders were concerned. The majority of important people were attacking from the front, I knew Zuko, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Iroh, Hakoda and his counsel were all coming from group one. Which begged the question, who was leading group two.

I glanced at the armour I had been given and began to put it on when a loud cackle distracted me. I knew that laugh. It was the laugh that had echoed across Omashu as a young avatar had convinced his ancient friend to use the mail chutes as a slide. The laugh of a mad genius. Looking up I cried out in surprise, dropping the bracer on the ground and ran to greet the old man.

Bumi hadn't changed one bit since I had last saw him.

"Ah, if it isn't Maddison the world traveler." He laughed upon spotting me. I noticed for the fist time that I wasn't the only who had realized Bumi was here. Aang, Sokka and Katara had all come over to greet the old king who was dressed impressively in green.

"Hello Bumi." I called, slowing my pace so I could properly greet the old man. I found myself wondering what he meant by World Traveler? Was he referring to our journey or the fact that I passed into another world. Which reminded me, I still didn't know how he had figured out I came from another world. But perhaps, I found myself thinking as I watched him and Aang laugh, maybe I didn't need to.

"So why are you here anyway?" I asked him, bringing the attention back to me for a moment.

"I was called here on a favour by a friend, a leader amongst an order I belong to." Bumi stated with a mad smile. I grinned back. The White Lotus was here then, was there any chance we were going to lose? Not that I saw, it would take Aang dying, after all he had already mastered the avatar state. Or him refusing to kill Ozai. It suddenly occurred to me that Aang hadn't learned his whole 'take away bending technique' which left only one option to deal with Ozai, especially with the comet coming up. Instantly I felt a swell of dread. This _was Aang_, he wasn't going to kill Ozai. That would mean he would have to defeat him, and someone else would have to kill him. I dragged my thoughts away. I could think on that later. Right now I needed to rejoin the second group.

"Are you joining group two, Bumi?" I asked. It made sense that Iroh and the White Lotus would be in the second group as the first was already filled with several powerhouses. Bumi nodded and turned back to Aang and the group.

"I must be going now, trust your friends. And Momo, you can't forget Momo." I blinked before shaking my head. I had no idea what Bumi's fascination in the little creature was but either way I wasn't about to complain.

Bumi and I walked back to group two. I was deep in thought. I hoped that this battle would be a success. After all we had so many more people than in cannon, including the White Lotus on our side. How could we lose?

"Team two, this way!" Someone shouted. I couldn't tell who it was but the voice sounded familiar. I allowed myself to be swept away with the crowd, down the island and to the beach. There both groups began entering submarines. If we wanted to be subtle we couldn't be seen.

I entered a submarine with Tyro and Haru as well as several people I didn't know. It was awkwardly silent as the submarine pulled out and into deep water. This trip was going to take a few hours before we made it to our destination. It would be even longer for group one though. Everyone wandered off to their own private corner of the sub and found a way to pass the time. For some it was sharpening their weapons to the point it didn't even hurt after they cut themselves. For others it was to sit in deep contemplation and wonder about their fates or what would happen after Ozai was defeated. I found myself in the second group. I was struggling to remember the comic series but the memories had faded. I shouldn't have been surprised, it had been over a year since I read them. It was strange, I realized suddenly, I had only been gone from my home nine months yet it felt like years had passed in this world that was becoming more and more my home. I had made friends, created a family, got a boyfriend.

I was pulled from my stupor sometime later to Haru's face.

"Maddi, we're almost there." I blinked then stood, my heart lurching into my throat. Here it was, the moment that would define everything was coming up. I stood, checked my bow and arrows one last time and braced myself.

I could feel the atmosphere tense as we slowed. It was excruciating. All of us wanted off the sub, at the same time though, none of us were looking forward to battle. It was battle after all, confident or not the truth was some of us would never be coming back.

Well wasn't I a little ray of sunshine today.

I shook myself out of my dark thoughts, there were far better things to think about right now, such as the plan. The curiosity that was building inside me as to how we would be enacting the plan to attack through the back of the fire nation capital. What was the strategy? When would we attack? What positions would we be in? These questions kept buzzing around in my head as the submarine ground to a stop against the beach floor. In solemn procession we exited the sub, noticing that all around us were others exiting from other submarines in tandem.

"Split into groups, I want three or four nonbenders to every earthbender. Is that understood!?" I froze. I knew that voice. There was no way. But it was. Taanki the old watertribe council member from Hakoda's 'court'. Taanki and I had butted heads multiple times. To say I disliked the man was an understatement and the feeling was mutual. I slipped by him, joining the group of an earthbender I did not know. I noticed that slowly each group began to move into different positions around the dead volcano.

"This is the plan." Taanki shouted, his voice clear despite the age that could be heard within it.

"The earthbenders will bring their group to the capital. From there I would like the majority of you to join the rest of the fighters. I want five groups with the most advanced earthbenders to stay behind and try to find those underground bunkers. The nonbenders will back them up. If a bunker is found contact me immediately."

The sound of something exploding rang from below. There was the signal. The ground under me lurched as the earthbender I was standing by began to bend a platform up the volcano. I changed my position so I was balanced and waited as we flew up the side of the dormant volcano.

Five minutes was all it took for team two to get both up and down the mountain. The main city was empty, but we were expecting that. I felt more then saw the people run by me with the exception of three earthbenders. Toph, Bumi and another who I didn't know. Each of their groups stayed alongside me. Taanki glanced at me then frowned.

"Maddison. Go down with the others." He told me firmly. I glanced at the three earthbenders and their guards. Sighing I turned and walked down towards the rest of the battle.

* * *

_Aang_

I was shaking. Taking a deep breath like the monks had taught me to do did little to help. Today I was going to kill a man.

I didn't want to.

As evil as the firelord may have been he was still a person. I didn't want to hurt anyone, not even the small creatures. One of the more severe group of monks I had meet would walk around with cloths covering their mouth and nose to prevent themselves from harming some tiny creature from the heat of their breath. I wasn't that severe, I realized sometimes there was nothing you could do but I also knew that I had to do everything in my power to not harm and to even protect living creatures.

But that had been before the iceberg and before this war.

Now I had eaten meat (fish, and very rarely), I had seen men and women die before my eyes and I had done nothing. I had even killed hundreds, maybe a thousand while in the Avatar state.

I was a murder, but there was a difference between killing someone and going out of your way to do such a thing.

I didn't have a choice.

While all these thoughts flew around my head I was still fighting. Most of it was spent in a passive, unaware state. My body had learned how to move on its own in a battle by now, freeing my mind. It was dangerous of course, if I didn't pay attention I could get hurt.

I was too scared to care at the moment.

"AANG!" Someone shouted, jerking me from my thoughts. Glancing up at the sky I realized why that shout had been given. The sun was about to be covered by the moon. I had ten minutes to find the Firelord and Kill him. Gulping I tore away from the rest of the battle and up into the long dormant volcano.

It was quiet other then a few soldiers who waved at my arrival.

"Avatar Aang." I turned. It was Taanki, the watertribe elder and councilman,

"We have discovered two bunkers. We believe that the first is the false one, meant to trick us, the second we believe houses the Firelord." I swallowed, but nodded. I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them again, everything was brighter.

The avatar state wrapped around me like a warm blanket and I could hear the whispers of my past as they made suggestions for my path.

"Where is the way in?" I asked. Some of the firebending avatars were raging to destroy the man who had dishonoured Angi's name and I had to work hard to suppress them.

"This way avatar." Taanki stated pointing to a large hole in the ground. Toph stood beside it along with several other warriors.

I nodded to the elderly man and stepped into the hole.

"Lead the way Toph." I told her.

"Twinkletoes? You're voice sounds weird." I realized with a jolt that Toph had never met me in the avatar state.

"I'm in the avatar state. It is my past lives you hear," I told her, "I trust that you will protect me?" She snorted while I shoved back the stuffy old waterbender who had seemed to miss the fact that I was in control here.

"Nothin' to it Twinkletoes." I nodded to her, turning back. It was dark but the glow provided from my tattoos and eyes seemed to make the darkness unimportant.

"What is the plan?" I asked after a moment, allowing a few of my past lives to ease their curiosity.

"We break in and book it to where the Firelord is, you take him down, the rest of us keep anyone from interfering. If you need it I'll jump in to help. You better not need it though." Toph warned. A small smile crossed my face. I nodded. It was simplistic but they had the element of surprise, the Firelord would not expect them to know about the second bunker.

The group lapsed into silence. There was perhaps twenty men at best. Well, not necessarily men, I added mentally, glancing at Toph.

"Okay here we are." Toph stated, pressing her hand against the metal that had just been exposed.

"Four men standing at the door, one on the opposite side sitting... that's probably him."

"The sun's been covered." One of the men stated, holding out his hand to show that he could no longer bend fire. I found myself wondering if his whole job was to let them know when the firebending turned off.

"Got it. Ready? You better be." Toph stated as she tore a huge hole in the metal. The warriors streamed out into the hall. I came in quickly, stepping forward.

Firelord Ozai was already standing, glaring at me as I approached him.

"Avatar." He snarled. I nodded.

"Firelord Ozai. I ask that you give up, your bending is not working and you and your men are outnumbered." Ozai snarled, lurching forward to attack me. I sidestepped. He had been so confident of his abilities, that he would win.

"Die." He snarled, a long blade shooting from his hand. I caught it, turning I glared at him. Behind me I could hear the cries of Ozai's soldiers as they were slowly incapacitated. I swept my hands out, twisting a heel. Several large boulders shot out from the tunnel, wrapping around his hands and ankles. He snarled, struggling to escape. Instead of the triumph I felt like I had kicked a child. It had been too easy.

"Kill him." I jerked, spinning to see several soldiers had come to stand behind me.

"What?" I asked, pretending that I hadn't heard them correctly, hoping against hope I hadn't.

"Kill him." It was the firebender soldier from earlier who had said it.

"No." I replied softly but firmly. Behind me Ozai laughed.

"You're weak, a coward." He hissed. Meanwhile inside all my past reincarnations were screaming to kill this man. All except two. I latched onto them. The first was a female, an airbender like me. The second was... ancient. He was an old firebender. He didn't argue with me, or agree, he just nodded.

"I understand where you're coming from." His voice quieted all the others within me. They seemed to step aside, as if he was the strongest. I realized with a jolt he wasn't the strongest, but he was the oldest.

"Aang." He stated, brown eyes warm. I could feel his hand pressed against my shoulder as if he was here in a physical state.

"What do you mean you won't kill him?" One of the soldiers shouted, fury spilling into their features.

"He's killed hundreds."

"The war is his fault."

"Because of him my wife's dead."

The angry shouts echoed around the chamber but I refused to back down.

"I will not kill." I told them. Toph stepped forward and I moved to bar her but she shoved me aside.

"I'm not going to go against your wishes Twinkletoes." She stated, "I'm just making sure when the fire goes back on he doesn't bend himself out of the stone." I paused before nodding and stepping aside. With a few deft moments Ozai's hands were dragged behind his back and encased in metal.

The Firelord had been defeated, but the war was far from over.

* * *

_Maddi_

The battle was over just as the sun began to change back to its original colour. Cleaning up from the battle was... strange. Bodies were carted away and weapons were collected while we waited to hear the final news.

A messenger came pelting down from the long dead volcano.

"The Firelord has been defeated!" He cried and loud cheers exploded.

"Firelord Zuko will be crowned officially today!" More cheers.

"When?" Someone deep within the crowd shouted, voice piercing through the din.

"Three hours afternoon." The messenger replied to the sound of more shouts. While everyone began to celebrate the messenger locked eyes with me and strode forwards.

"Maddison, Girl of All Nations." He bowed, "Firelord Zuko has requested your appearance." I nodded.

"Ozai isn't dead is he?" I asked. The messenger gave a wane smile.

"Your wisdom astounds me." He replied, bowing. I nodded and began walking up the hill towards the palace and inner city.

As I walked up I noticed people sticking their heads out of their doors and windows. I could tell they were scared. I didn't pay much attention to them. I was covered in blood and holding weapons. They wouldn't want my attention.

I made it up to the citadel in record time. The streets were empty here. The palace was easy to spot. There were several soldiers standing outside but they let me pass without question.

"Maddi." I looked up. Aang was standing there, eyes wide.

"Hi Aang." I called, stepping forward. Aang stepped back. I frowned.

"What's wrong?" Aang gestured soundlessly to my face. I touched the spot he had gestured to. Pulling my hand away I realized that it was stained with blood. I probably looked like a mess. No wonder the people in the houses had been scared of me.

"I'll go clean up." I quickly assured him, walking past and into the palace. A few servants wandered about, seeming unsure of how to deal with the sudden change in leadership.

"Can you direct me to somewhere I can get cleaned up?" I asked one. The man froze but nodded, pointing towards one hallway. I thanked him and wandered in that direction.

I found myself in some sort of spa. I stilled, recognizing it as the one that Azula had spent her time in. I couldn't remember what episode it belonged to but I remembered it. Shaking myself out of my stupor I grabbed a towel and wiped all the blood off my skin. The clothes were a lost cause. I found a robe hung in a corner and stripped, putting that on over my undergarments.

"Maddi." I jerked, spinning.

"Sokka don't scare me like that." I gasped, placing a hand over my palpitating heart.

"Sorry, Zuko's called a meeting. Everyone needs to be down there now." I nodded tying the robe tightly. Sokka grimaced.

"You can get some... regular clothes first." I chuckled lightly.

"And do you know where I can get some?" I asked. Sokka opened his mouth then shook his head.

"Didn't think so." I muttered. Ignoring Sokka, who was spluttering about indecency I hurried back into the main corridors.

"Ma'am." I turned. A serving girl who couldn't have been more then sixteen looking out my 'outfit'.

"Yes?" I asked, I had things to do, I didn't have time to be stopped.

"You cannot wear that, here." She shoved the bundle of fabric she had been carrying into my hands.

Ten minutes later I skittered into the war room, right behind Sokka.

"Fashionably late?" Taanki asked, a sneer curling around his mouth. I glared at him, equally heated and moved to take a seat.

"Maddi, up here." Zuko gestured to the spot beside him. I blinked. He was placing me to his left and Sokka to his right. Aang was placed to Sokka's right. I didn't pay much attention to the rest of the seating arrangement as I took my spot beside Zuko.

"Now that everyone is here," Taanki stated. His voice was cool, "we can continue with finishing this war."

"What do you mean continue?" Toph asked, echoing my own thoughts.

"Azula still holds Ba Sing Se." Zuko stated softly. He pushed a red triangle over the giant city. Taanki snorted.

"She's just a girl, she will fall." I glanced at Taanki. Was that his problem with me? No, he was very respectful to Katara and she too was a woman warrior.

"We can't underestimate her." Katara warned, "Azula is talented at fighting."

"How about running a country." Everyone turned to me.

"Does Azula have the skills to control Ba Sing Se? If she doesn't-"

"She has been trained to rule the firenation, she will have the skills to rule a single city." One of Hakoda's men stated. Zuko winced slightly. A reminder of how much his father had not trusted him.

"What I want to know is why Ozai's body is not rotting in view for all to see." One particularly angry member that I didn't recognize stated. He was firenation and clearly high ranking judging by the way he carried himself, "And why you, Zuko, have not attempted to reunite with Mai, your betrothed." The pointed way he stated that and the angry glare he sent me immediately let me know what he thought of his new ruler choosing an earthkingdom peasant as his girlfriend.

"It was the avatar's choice what to do with my father, and I trust him." Zuko stated firmly, before sending a small smile at Aang.

"As for who I chose," he glanced at me, "Mai and I have not been engaged since I was banished. I have chosen for myself who I will be with, and that person is Maddi." I smiled at Zuko, a strange fuzzy feeling building up inside my chest.

"Let's move on from what has happened today." Hakoda stated, dragging the attention away from the potential drama, "After Zuko is crowned what is our plan to deal with Azula?"

"We will have to march on Ba Sing Se as soon as possible." Zuko stated firmly, "Azula is likely to become angrier if she hears father has been defeated. She might cause a great deal of damage unless we move to intercept immediately." There were murmurs of agreement from around the short table.

"And where will you be in all this Firelord?" The firenation man asked. Zuko glanced at the stranger in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"The firenation needs their leader to be here, to help bring upon the change to peace. They need your guidance. I would recommend that you and your..." he paused before grimacing, "girlfriend stay here as a beacon of hope. There is no reason to endanger yourself further." Zuko stared at the man blankly.

"My people also need to know that I am a man of action, I cannot sit idly while those who fight in my name risk their lives."

"Your people already know that you are a man of action." Hakoda stated, dragging our attention back to him, "If you lose your life then there will be no one of the lineage left who will be capable of leading the firenation. No, General Nihouka is correct, you need to stay here." There was silence as Zuko quietly thought this over.

"I will inform you of my decision after my crowning." He finally stated, standing. As he rose so did everyone else.

"You are all dismissed." He stated, and left. I followed him recognizing the troubled look on his face.

Zuko needed my advice.

* * *

_A/N: Before anyone gets up in arms about the capital K in Kill in Aang's POV that was done purposely. For Aang killing someone is a capital offence against not only the beliefs of his people but his own morals. Hence the capital K for Kill. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. For those of you who were upset by what happened in Blood and Spirits I have rewritten the argument between Katara and Maddi. I hope this is an improvement from before. Feel free to check it out, it does make quite a difference in how the rest of the story is read. _

_Princess Kassie Out. _


	51. Dragons

Chapter 51

_Dragons_

_Maddi_

Zuko didn't acknowledge me until we were safely hidden in what I assumed was his old room, and the curtains were shut.

"What do you think?" I shifted uncomfortably at the question. Part of me wanted to be out there, supporting our friends and finishing this once and for all, especially to make sure that Azula wasn't still free by the time the comet came. However another part of me was begging to take up the chance to escape the fighting, the battling. I was tired of killing and seeing so much death. I wanted it done and over. I wanted to be able to live without being scared that my actions would lead to someones death.

"I don't know." I admitted, moving to sit on his bed. Glancing up at Zuko I rubbed my forehead.

"This isn't one of those easy questions and I don't even recognize anything anymore. The future is altered past anything I could even imagine." I told him. He sighed and joined me on the bed.

"Have I done enough?" He asked me softly, arms wrapping around my shoulders. I gently pulled at one so I was cradling his forearm against my torso.

"For what?"

"To make up for everything that my ancestors have done." I groaned, letting go to run fingers through my messy hair.

"Honestly, Zuko? There's no making up for the past, unless you can go back in time. But you've made the best choices considering and you're well on your way to being a great Firelord. I think that is what matters the most in the end."

"But what do I do?" He asked, running his hands through his hair, loosening the topknot that it had been placed in.

"Well what's your gut saying?" I asked, pulling his hands out of his hair.

"Both," he admitted, "I want to stay here and guide my people but at the same time this war isn't over." I nodded my head in understanding.

"And its Azula." I finished. He stiffened, letting me know that I was right on the dot. He thought taking down Azula was his responsibility. After a moment he nodded. We were both silent for a while, I wasn't sure of how to treat this particular subject. I didn't know Azula that well, we had only battled twice. The only things I knew about her al came from the show.

"What should I do?" He muttered. I sighed the firenation needed the security that Zuko could offer and if he stayed so would I. Aang and the others had been fine without Zuko and they were far from helpless but my own heart rebelled against the concept of leaving them. This wasn't easy, there were no easy answers for this and I had no idea how this was going to work out. I knew what was best for the fire nation though and if Zuko and I kept this relationship then I had to think of what was best for my future nation, not myself.

"I think we should stay." He looked up at me in shock for a moment before nodding.

"Our people before ourselves." He stated, figuring out my thought process in seconds. Give him a year and he would know me better then I knew myself. A sudden warmth filled me. Our people. Zuko had called them our people. I shook myself, not now, I chastised, I needed to keep focused on the matter at hand.

"Well then Firelord Zuko, what should be the first matter we attend to after your crowning?" I asked facetiously. Zuko chuckled at my voice before moving over to a desk and pulling out a roll of parchment, an ink pot, and a brush.

"There's a lot that needs to be done." He admitted, dipping the brush into the ink.

"I need to attend to matters of state, seeing to finances, calling troops back home from overseas, there are doubtless rules that I have to adjust or completely get rid of."

"What about political prisoners." I added, my mind thinking of Suki, "Anyone in jail under that label should have their case reevaluated. In some cases they might have to be reimbursed." Zuko paused from the list he had been making to send me an odd look over his shoulder.

"Reimbursed?" He asked.

"Its something that we do in my world if someone was arrested under false pretences or didn't even do the crime. Of course I don't know how that goes for political prisoners but you might want to look at all the cases with men and woman who have been put in jail, not just the political prisoners." Zuko nodded and added that to the list.

We talked a bit about my knowledge, but I admitted, that the state of affairs in the firenation hadn't offered enough entertainment and therefore had been left out. Still my knowledge was useful and in an hour we had the completed list.

_List in order of importance_

_A. Cases of all those in jail in order of importance_

_Political Prisoners_

_Arrests for treason _

_Criminal acts (from stealing to murder) _

_Those with warrants on their heads _

_B. Looking over the firenation's finances and budget_

_C. Calling troops from overseas and reimbursing time spent as unwilling soldiers if possible _

_D. Look at the various rules and orders, alter or change if necessary _

_In particular those put into effect in Ozai's reign_

_E. An official 'gathering' in which the lords, ladies, generals and other members of the court pledge allegiance to their new sovereign _

_F. Touring the fire nation to find areas that need to be supported/helped/etc. _

_Look for any sign of Ursa_

_G. Figure out what to do with the colonies. _

"So we've got our action plan?" I asked with a teasing smile. Zuko nodded, reaching up and giving me a kiss on the forehead. I chuckled and kissed him back. We shared a smile before going back to planning, we had a lot to do before the war was over.

* * *

Zuko's crowning went very well. There was no attempt on either his or Aang's life (which was eerily likely. Luckily there were several warriors in the crowd and on the stage who were more then willing to risk their lives for Zuko's). More surprising was the excitement and joy that seemed to explode from the lower class. The higher class and nobles seemed either neutral or carefully suppressing their true feelings. It was well known by now that Zuko was a man of the people and the nobles didn't look like they liked the idea of a firelord who would put the poor above them. Sucks to be them. I found myself thinking with a twist on my lips as Sozin/Roku's crown was placed over his topknot.

Then it was back to the counsel room.

"Well Firelord Zuko, what was your decision?" Chief Hakoda asked smiling at the newly crowned young man.

"Maddison and I will remain here in the firenation to fix the wrongs my ancestors have committed." Zuko replied, glancing at me with a small smile. Taanki grunted and my eyes narrowed in on him. I had chosen to ignore his rude comment before as I had more important things to worry about but now I had to also show that I was deserving of respect.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked, looking slightly sad at the thought that we would be staying behind. Both of us nodded.

"Yes, but there is something that the avatar and I must do first." Zuko added, sending me a sly smile, "We will be gone for two days at the most. Can I assume that the war effort will not cease while we are gone?" There was a chorus of 'yes' and 'of course' from around the table mixed in with a couple of suspicious looks.

"In the meantime, Maddison will be in charge of the fire nation." I made a noise similar to a dog toy being stepped on but caught myself before to many people identified it. I had expected Zuko would put Iroh in charge, not me.

"Are you sure this is wise my lord?" The firenation General from earlier, Nihouka, asked.

"I trust Maddison with my life and with the lives of my people. One day she will be firelady." Zuko stated. I carefully schooled my expression as everyone turned to look at me.

"I will do my best." I told Zuko firmly. I would probably go to Iroh a lot of course, but I would still be the one officially in charge.

"Aang? Shall we head off?" Zuko asked. Aang nodded, looking shocked before speaking.

"Can I ask why we're going now?"

"Consider it one last lesson before we have to separate. I am your firebending master right? Well there's one thing more to teach you."

"But I thought you said I had mastered firebending-" Aang asked as Zuko guided him out of the private meeting.

"Well I believe that is all for now. I will call another meeting tomorrow, an hour after sunrise." I stated firmly, standing. Everyone else stood along with me.

"Taanki, Nihouka, I would ask that you remain behind to talk." I stated, catching the attention of the two men. They nodded Hakoda sent me a strange look but didn't argue, choosing to follow his daughter and son out of the room. I sat once again causing both older men to follow me.

"Nihouka," I stated, turning to look at the older general, "Do you trust Firelord Zuko?" The man spluttered before finally asking in a voice of deep hurt.

"How can you question my allegiance? I was the first man to offer my abilities to serve him when he was still price." I was surprised, not having been aware of that.

"Yet you seem to dislike me, why?" He seemed unable to speak for a moment before finally stating.

"I do not... dislike you. I was surprised by the fact that the Firelord did not reinstate his previous engagement with Mai and that he had decided to become involved with... an earth kingdom peasant." I nodded thoughtfully.

"You don't believe that I have what it takes to be firelady?" I asked. He shook his head.

"You will be the first firelady to not be of firenation origin and from a peasant birth no less." It suddenly made sense to me, he was worried about his people.

"I promise, the firenation is my nation too." I told him firmly, "I had no allegiance to any nation before becoming involved with Zuko and I will treat the people of the firenation as my people." I told him. I could tell he didn't fully believe myself. I would have to prove myself to him over time.

"You may leave." He nodded, stood, bowed and left. Now it was just Taanki and I.

"Why do you hate me? What did I ever do?" I asked. Taanki glared at me and refused to speak.

"Why are you so insistent upon being rude to me?" I asked, trying not to snap at the man. He was an adult but he was acting like a scorned child. I sighed deeply.

"Listen, I don't care about your personal opinion of me. Facts are there are people who are going to dislike each other. However when you were blatantly rude to me earlier today that is where I draw the line. Dislike me all you want. Go ahead and hate me. The fact is, I will not tolerate blatant disrespect, especially when I have a nation relying on my strength."

"They aren't relying on you, you're a woman. They're relying upon Zuko."

"Firelord Zuko to you." I snapped tersely, "And maybe not but I support him and there is a lot of good I can do for this nation." I stated finally.

"You may leave." I added. He stood, turned but last second turned back, bowed and walked out stiffly.

This was going to be a great deal harder then I had first thought it would be.

* * *

_Sokka_

The first thing that caught my attention was how quietly my father was speaking to an irate Taanki. Taanki himself was practically spitting the words at my father. I slowly crept forward, careful to remain hidden.

"I don't understand what bothers you so much about her."

"That girl has never had to work a day in her life." Taanki hissed at my father. I realized that they were talking about Pala, after all, who else could make Taanki that furious?

"Do you honestly believe that? Pala is a fighter and she has clearly had to go through a lot." Sokka's father asked softly.

"She's had to fight to survive. We all have had to. That girl has been handed a perfect life on a silver platter and all she had to do was step through the spirit world." Taanki hissed before storming away. My father sighed, rubbing his forehead in a gesture of tired exasperation.

"Why does he hate Pala?" I asked, sliding up to my father who shot me a look.

"How much did you hear?"

"Not a lot, just that he thinks that she's had it easy." Hakoda took a deep breath.

"Taanki has had to struggle every step of the way to even make it to councilman at his age. I think he's jealous of Pala. You forget that in a matter of months she was surrounded by five of the most important members of your generation. Now she is in a relationship with Zuko and it looks like in a little less then a year she will be firelady. That sort of luck most people would sell their souls for." Hakoda explained, eyes still fixed on where the old councilman had vanished.

"She hasn't had it that easy," I pointed out, "She's had to prove herself over and over and she will never see her old family again. I can't imagine what I'd do in her situation." I admitted.

"Neither do I." My father replied, "Neither do I."

* * *

_Aang_

_Several hours later _

"So why are we here?" I asked, looking around. Zuko smiled.

"Its my last lesson, Maddi suggested it." I glanced at him.

"Did she tell you what this place supposedly does?" I asked. Zuko nodded, looking around.

"Well?" I asked. He glanced at me then realized what I was suggesting.

"Apparently the people who lived here aren't as extinct as we believed." He explained.

"I guessed that by the working boobytrap." I replied. Zuko stared at me. I grinned guiltily.

"Maybe I've been spending too much time with Sokka." Zuko laughed, shaking his head.

"Whatever you say Aang." He paused, looking up at the temple entrance. I rushed forward and tried to open it. No luck.

"Its a celestial calendar." I pointed out, gesturing at the light that sat on the ground then up to a large crystal embedded above the temple door.

After a bit of clever thinking on Zuko's part involving his duel swords The door opened, revealing a set of statues. I moved forward to inspect an inscription by the feet of one.

"The Dancing Dragon." I muttered.

"I wonder if Maddi knew about this." I heard Zuko mutter. I shrugged and moved to mirror the position of the man before us. My foot sank into the ground.

"Zuko, you'll want to see this." Zuko turned and wandered over. I showed him, stepping on and off the piece.

"We're going to have to do this aren't we?" Zuko sighed before getting into position.

We moved through the dance in tandem until the end where we leaned toward each other, our fists almost touching. A loud grinding noise startled both of us. Turning a pedestal raised from the ground, a gold, egg shaped object covered with decorative swirls sat on the centre.

"Whoa." I muttered, approaching it carefully. Zuko reached out.

"Well don't touch it!" I warned. Zuko didn't seem to agree with me, he picked it up, his eyes wide and unfocused.

"Its warm." He muttered, softly rubbing one hand over its surface. An explosion of green goo exploded from the pedestal, throwing Zuko into the air and against the grate above.

* * *

Zuko

I stared up at the Sunwarriors before us. I was still holding the 'jewel', which had somehow become stuck to my hand. I could feel the pulse of energy from the egg shaped gold stone. Whatever it was it was most certainly not a jewel.

"They're here to steal Sunwarrior treasures." One of the Sunwarriors accused, pointing at us and glaring at the egg in my hands.

"We didn't come here for this, we came here to learn some firebending, my girlfriend recommended that we come here." The disbelieving looks were not a comforting sight. I sighed.

"I am Firelord Zuko, this is Avatar Aang, I am trying to right the wrongs committed by my family." I explained.

There was a loud crack. I jerked and turned to look at the 'jewel' that was still stuck to my hand. One of the Sunwarrior women attempted to grab it, but was stopped by the chief. The egg was becoming hotter, practically unbearable. Suddenly it shattered in every direction.

When the smoke cleared I found myself staring at a tiny red dragon sitting on my arm with wide eyes.

"That's a-" I choked, staring at the infantile dragon as it cooed, wrapping itself around my neck.

"A dragon." Aang finished, eyes equally wide before pausing.

"I thought you said they were extinct?" The Sunwarrior chief shook his head.

"A young dragon only hatches when it feels its time is right. They are immensely spiritual creatures, and clearly this one has decided upon hatching for you." He stated, not really answering Aang's question. Aang glanced up at me.

"What's the chances that Maddi knew about this?" He asked. I shot him a look.

"That's what I thought." He muttered. I nodded. Maddi had to have known about this, it was a very political statement for the firelord to have a dragon and it was exactly the sort of thing that Maddi would support.

"Come, you two must present yourselves before the masters and be judged." He smiled and glanced at the baby dragon that had wrapped around my neck like a living scarf, "Although there is little doubt about what will happen." He turned away, gesturing for us to follow him.

We followed him to a huge bonfire, it seemed to reverberate life and hope. The baby dragon around my neck cooed and attempted to throw itself into the fire. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not, so I caught it and wrapped it about my neck where it made a grumbling sound but remained where it lay.

"This is the original fire, gifted to by the dragons to humankind. We have kept it burning for hundreds of years. You will both take a piece of the fire and present it to Ran and Sha and present it to them. If the masters deem you worthy, then they may teach you something." He added, glancing at the dragon. I shot a look at Aang and the two of us nodded. We would do this task and meet these masters. Who knew what they would be able to teach us?

* * *

_So what do you think? Zuko got Fang a little earlier then in the original series, and Maddi faced up to those two men who were causing her problems. Nihouka is still going to cause problems, just because he isn't as open about his true opinions as Taanki, and Taanki himself may ease up a little on Maddi, but that sort of jealousy doesn't just 'go away'. Anyway let me know what you think,_

_Until next time,_

_Princess Kassie Out._


	52. Political Prisoners-We March

Chapter 52

Political Prisoners/We March

Maddi

There were a lot of things I was expecting Zuko to return with. A smile? Yes. Aang? Most definitely. A tiny red dragon? Not so much. I knew that Zuko ended up with a dragon sometime before Legend of Korra but he wasn't supposed to have one before the first series ended. I could feel myself start get a headache as Zuko and Aang landed, a baby dragon wrapped around Zuko's neck like a scarf.

To say there was a commotion was an understatement. Fire Lord Zuko had just returned with an infantile dragon on his shoulders and the amount of people who had come out to greet him was astounding already. He was grinning like a child at Christmas as he approached me and took my hand.

"Maddi, meet Druk, Druk, Maddi." The little dragon blinked owlishly at me before blowing a small cloud of smoke at my face and burying his head back in Zuko's shirt.

"You have a dragon." My voice sounded hollow, I was completely shocked. Zuko's smile fell for a second as he gazed at me in confusion. Aang too shared a look with Zuko.

"You didn't know?" He asked me as Katara came running and threw herself into his arms. I shook my head.

"Sort of, I'll explain later." The two of them nodded as suddenly they were both swamped by courtiers.

It took a good fifteen minutes before the four of us could escape for a moment. The nobles were as bad as reporters, curious if this was some sort of political statement and if that meant that the dragons were not extinct.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked, once the four of us were out of earshot.

Zuko and Aang explained the entire story from the sun warriors to the egg hatching.

"We thought you knew considering you sent us." Aang finished. I shook my head.

"I didn't, I was just thinking that going to Ran and Shaw would be a good way to officially end your training... although I did suspect that Zuko would get a dragon, I didn't know when." Then I explained that there was a second series but I hadn't seen much, just small tidbits every once in a while through a friend.

"So I guess my knowledge is from now on pretty much useless." I stated softly. We were all awkwardly silent for a moment.

"We have to be going Aang, the army's leaving tonight." Katara stated before glancing at me.

"Maddi... be careful okay?" I smiled and stood. For a moment the two of us looked at each other and then I held out my hand. I wasn't comfortable with hugging Katara again, not yet but this was an offering. One she accepted immediately. We shook hands.

"Good luck Katara, Aang." Zuko stated, moving forward to hug both. My mouth quirked as the avatar and the firelord said their goodbyes. After all, they wouldn't be separated for long.

It was two days after the army left that Zuko and I began to work on our list. Druk of course had seemed to find his happy place was wrapped around Zuko's neck or huddled under the blankets of one of our beds, preferably Zuko's.

When it came to this list that there was a huge list of names and most of them had no paperwork to state why this or that person had been put in jail and as such we were unable to identify which prisoners were political or not.

"What are we supposed to do?" I asked, staring at yet another scroll of names. It was ridiculous how many names there were.

"What do you suggest we do?" He asked glancing at me from his scroll. My head fell against the desk.

"I don't know, just looking at these names..." I threw my hands up in the air and stood, walking away. There was silence for a moment.

"Why don't we start with the more important prisons, apparently some of our inventors have just finished working with the air contraptions. We could travel to the high ranking facilities and then to the lesser, deal with it all right there." I turned, gazing at Zuko with appreciation.

"Zuko, you're a genius." I crowed. He smiled warmly back at me, gold eyes gleaming while I stuck my head out and waved down a servant. There were so many servants here, so many people working under the Firelord's employ, it had to be an important part of the economy. A hand touched my shoulder as the servant stopped.

"I'll take this one." Zuko told me. I hesitated before stepping back.

"Can you figure out which prisons we should travel to first?" He asked. I nodded and walked back to the scrolls.

* * *

Katara

We were heading straight to Ba Sing Se to confront Azula. It was a little daunting actually but Aang had defeated Ozai with little difficulty, so how much harder could Azula be? Of course during that time the 'firebending was out' so he hadn't had any ability to fight back. And Azula wasn't some who would be curled up like a coward in a bunker, she would be out there fighting everyone, willingly killing all those in her path.

"Are you okay?" I turned, Aang was watching me. He had changed so much from when I had first met him, from a playful excited boy to a serious young man. A man who I loved.

"I'm okay." I replied with a small smile reaching over and placing a hand over his. Absently I gazed out over the ocean and the fire nation that was slowly vanishing behind us. It was a beautiful day with no clouds, and summer just around the corner. We had a month to defeat Azula. One month before the comet came. I hoped we were ready. He gave me a wane smile.

"What about you?" I asked, leaning forward. Aang sighed.

"I'm okay, just... thinking." His grey eyes looked troubled as he gazed past the water, past the firenation, somewhere that only he could see.

"About what?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.I was still taller then him, but he was growing taller already. One day he might stand as tall as my father.

"What's going to happen after we win this war, Maddi and Zuko have already gone their own way, Sokka's going to head back to Kyoshi island for a bit to see Suki, Toph's been talking about making an metalbending academy." I suddenly understood why Aang looked so downcast. He was scared.

"I'll stay with you." I promised.

"I know but... you are all my family and losing you..." Aang trailed off. He shifted uncomfortably, nearly pulling away from me. We were all he had left, myself, Sokka, Toph, Pala, Zuko, Appa and Momo. We were his family. I knew that fear the fear of losing the ones you loved. I had been forced to face that fear when my father left the south pole. I had now long since forgiven him for making me live through that. Aang though needed reassurance.

"You aren't going to lose us." I promised, "This is the way things go, it doesn't mean that we can't spend time with them or they won't be our family any more, we just won't see them as often." Aang smiled and hugged me back before pressing a kiss to my cheek/

"Thanks Katara, where would I be without you?"

"Still floating in a chunk of ice?" I teased, causing him to laugh.

"Yeah, I probably would be."

* * *

Maddi

"Druk! No!" I grabbed the baby dragon as he once again tried to once again fly into the boiler fire.

"Is everything alright my lady?" I struggled against the baby dragon as one of the 'mandatory guards' that had come along came forward, a worried look in his eyes. He reached out but stilled. It had been not so recently discovered that Druk didn't seem to like anyone touching him but Zuko and myself. And he barely tolerated my touch as it was. Apparently this was normal and in a year he would accept other people. At least that was what the sun warriors had stated. The only reason that Druk let me hold him at all was apparently because he saw me as Zuko's mate, which wasn't all that inaccurate.

"I'm fine thanks, besides he doesn't-" I yelped as Druk spun and sunk his teeth into my fist. My cry alerted Zuko, who had been at the front of the small ship. Instantly Druk was wrapped around the neck of his daddy, but not before he flicked my face with his tail. Well he was clearly angry with me for keeping him away from the boiler it was a lot gentler a tantrum then what the maids had received when they had pulled him from Zuko's bed. The little dragon had almost scarred the poor woman and if it hadn't been for Katara she most assuredly would have lost a finger.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked, grabbing my hand from the dragon bite marks. Thank goodness he still had his baby teeth, if he had his adult teeth he could have bit my hand clean off.

"I'm fine," I stated wrapping my uninjured hand around the bite mark which was leaking blood.

"What happened?"

"Druk's been trying to fly into the boiler." I explained as one of the guards passed me a cloth bandage to wrap my injured appendage in. Zuko frowned at the tiny dragon.

"Fire won't hurt him, but I agree, if he went in we'd never get him out." I gave a small smile as Zuko wrapped the baby dragon around his hands and held him at face height. I watched in interest as he scolded Druk. It was an interesting event to watch, his face became angry and smoke billowed from his nose and mouth. This was particularly effective when he held Druk to face his scarred side. For some reason Druk seemed to like that side of his face the most and as such seeing it angry was a good punishment. We didn't know why the little dragon was so fascinated with his scar, until one maid pointed out that it looked like a dragon's face. The tale of Zuko's scar had never been told to the general public and as such many servants and peasants alike seemed to think that it was a gift of the dragons. Zuko wasn't going to tell them any differently, his scar no longer meant shame to him, perhaps it was best that it was reborn.

Peasants. Thinking back I shook my head. I disliked the word, it made those seem like lesser beings. I barely accepted the word servant. It was one of the biggest areas that I had to adjust to. I liked the lifestyle, being able to access a large library, having a bed again, and food served by a professional chief. It was a dream. But having people working for us and so many people at that, it was difficult to adjust to.

"We're here your highness." I glanced down over the edge of the blimp and smiled. Far below the boiling rock sat, centred in the middle of a volcano. For obvious reasons as we were guests and not uninvited we would land outside the volcano and then make our way to the prison.

I had listed the boiling rock as the first prison to see for two reasons, the first was to make sure Suki wasn't here or if she was to get her out quickly. The second was that the boiling rock held a lot of the more famous cases, plenty of which probably needed review.

* * *

"You're majesty." The warden bowed deeply, "You honour us with your presence."

"I assume you were told as to why I am here?" Zuko asked.

"Of course your majesty." He gestured with one arm, "Please come this way." I kept time with Zuko, glancing around. Our guards closed the area around us, making me feel stifled.

We were lead to a medium sized room with two chairs placed on one end and another chair, this one with straps on it placed on the opposite end.

"I was wondering my liege when Ozai would be coming here?" The warden asked. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He looked almost _eager_ for the arrival of the ex firelord.

"I'm afraid he will not, my father will remain in the prison close to my home." Zuko stated. Both of his eyes were narrowed as he stared at the warden. He was suspicious.

"Are you sure that is wise? Your father is a powerful bender and a very dangerous man. If he was to escape I'm sure that he would not hesitate to finish what he started all those years ago. And the prison there can not even come close to the security level that we could offer here." Alarm bells began ringing in my head. Finish what he started all those years ago? Was that a slip or was this man's allegiance not to Zuko? Either way I was going to keep my eyes out for any more slips.

"I believe it is what is best." Zuko stated. His face had become cold, a mask that I had never seen him wear before.

"Of course my liege, let me summon the first prisoner..." He turned back from the door to look at us, "Although we are a very large facility here, I'm afraid that meeting the prisoners one at a time like this will take at lest two days."

"Then I suggest that you start." I interjected. He bowed again and left. I glanced at Zuko who was frowning deeply.

"Is it just me or did that man give you the creeps too?"

"He's Mai's uncle." I pursed my lips that was hardly an answer. Then I glanced back at the room. Right, guards. That was probably why Zuko was so tight lipped. I supposed we needed to look good in front of the guards, we needed to be the pillars of firenation society.

I suddenly realized that ruling the firenation at Zuko's side might be harder then I had expected. I sighed and moved to take a seat. Zuko followed after me.

We waited for several minutes until the warden game back with a man in chains and a prisoner's uniform guided by two guards. He was an old man, face long wrinkled in age, his hair was fading and he walked with a slight uneven pace that I recognized. This man was old and fragile. How long had he been living here?

"This is our oldest prisoner." The warden stated, handing Zuko a scroll. Then he walked away to go and gather another prisoner. Zuko picked up the scroll and read it before passing it to me.

"You murdered your wife." Zuko stated. The old man flinched away before timidly nodding.

"But you've had exemplary behaviour since then." I added, browsing the scroll with interest before pausing.

"You openly admitted to killing your wife. Why?" I looked up to the man. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Because she betrayed me. I thought that they would understand... a woman's job is to do whatever her husband tells her." I winced internally. Well that was sexist.

"How did she-"

"With other men!" He snarled before recoiling as if expecting to be struck. I was torn. This old man clearly wasn't repentant but at the same time he was just an old man. I glanced at Zuko who waved at the guards. They grabbed the man by the arms and dragged him away. I gazed after him torn, unsure whether I should pity the man or not.

The day continued in this fashion, reviewing cases. A good amount were killers, one in particular who killed non-benders by burning them alive. A serial killer, MO and everything. But not all of them were killers, especially those from Ozai's time. Two men had tried to start rebellions, another one had started a rally that had nearly turned into a mob. All three of them were released immediately. The next group was formed from a large pile of deserters, many of whom apologized that they were not there the day of black sun. One even threw himself to the floor and begged for our forgiveness.

For obvious reasons that entire group was released.

It was evening when a familiar brunette appeared through the door.

"Suki!" I cried. Suki jerked in surprise as her eyes met mine.

"Maddi!" I stepped forward to hug her but paused, remembering the multiple sets of eyes in the room and that not all of them would be friendly.

"Release her." Zuko commanded from behind me. Suki's handcuff's were unlocked but her eyes were now focused on Zuko and she didn't look happy.

"Suki... meet Firelord Zuko, Zuko, this is Suki leader of the Kyoshi warriors." Zuko moved forward with a smile.

"Well met."

"Not really." Suki snapped.

"Suki!" I cried. She glared at me.

"In case you didn't forget that guy burnt down my village." Zuko's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered where he had heard the word Kyoshi.

"I'm sorry." Suki turned to look at Zuko. Then turned to look at me again.

"So he's firelord now."

"Zuko has done a lot for the war effort, without him we wouldn't have won." I told her quickly before glancing back, "And we're in a relationship." Suki sighed and looked back at Zuko.

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved." Zuko smiled slightly.

"Well I deserved it a little. I did destroy your village." There was a moment of silence then Suki gave a small smile in return.

"I suppose." I sighed in relief and began chatting with my old friend while we waited for the next prisoner to come.

* * *

_A/N:_

_Sorry for the late update, exam week still isn't over for me (It won't end until the eighteenth when I finally get to go home.) So what did you guys think? What's going on with Mai's uncle? Also I mentioned in the last chapter that the dragon's name was Fang. I was wrong as pointed out by Failisse that his name in Legend of Korra is Druk. So sorry for any confusion. _


	53. Final Battle-Spirits Awakening

Chapter 53

Final Battle/Awakening

_Katara_

Battling Azula wasn't going to be as easy as her father had been. Unlike her father we did not have the advantage of the firebending being off. In addition Azula unlike her father would not hide, but be out and fighting along with her two friends. All three of them were exceptional warriors but most alarmingly they had the entire Dai Li at their disposal as well as a small army of loyal fire benders.

The plan to defeat her was simple. The White Lotus, lead by Iroh would break down the wall and attack, the rest of us would charge in after and take each ring as our own. It wasn't going to be easy but we'd manage. I believed that we could do it.

We had set up camp just outside of Ba Sing Se. Depending on how this battle went we might have to camp in each ring as we fought our way up.

"Katara, have you seen Aang?" I jerked from my thoughts by Sokka rushing up.

"No... not for a while. Why?"

"He and Momo are missing." My eyes widened. While Momo was adorable I was much more worried about Aang.

"Any idea where he is?" I asked, breaking into a run to join my brother on his search. He shook his head.

"No, I've asked everyone, they haven't seen him." My heart leapt. Oh please be alright Aang. I thought as I ran, be okay, I can't lose you.

Half an hour later I sagged against a tent. Nearly the entire camp had been alerted. Aang couldn't be found anywhere. My panic had reached levels where nearly any water by me exploded. I was hyperventilating and doing everything in my power to not collapse and cry for my fiancee. I knew that Aang was capable. It wasn't because I doubted his abilities that I was one of the few things that I was confident in. But if he was unconscious he couldn't bend.

Wherever he was she hoped that he was okay.

* * *

_Aang_

I woke up with a jerk. Looking around frantically I tried to figure out where I was. I was laying on a strange shaped patch of land surrounded by moss and trees. Shaking myself I stood. Momo flew above my head, happily munching on a fruit of some kind.

Where were we?

* * *

_Maddi_

I stared at exasperation at the scroll in front of me before grudgingly signing my name. Paperwork. Why was it that literally no matter what world or time I was in paperwork was inescapable?

"It sounds like you're having a hard time." I stiffened. I knew that voice but I hadn't heard it in months.

"Last time I saw you, you were screaming in anger because I had seen a vision of you're past." I stated, signing another piece of paper before turning around.

"I can't say I'm pleased to see you Lung." The deity of air was standing behind me, his ever-changing features almost completely still, revealing his own feelings on this matter.

"I'm not here for a social visit."

"I gathered." I stated dryly before turning to my paperwork.

"Can you make this quick, I have hours of backlogged reading to do." I stated. Staring at the large pile of scrolls in sorrow. Lung snorted.

"Do you regret your choice of knowledge now?" Lung asked, whooshing to stand beside me like a gust of air.

"Cut to the chase, Lung. Oh and no, I will not exchange the ability to read to bend. I need this skill, as Zuko's girlfriend."

"And eventual fire lady. You are aware that the majority of his subjects believe you two to be engaged? All you're missing is the convenient. But you're right." Lung flashed forward so we were staring eye to eye.

"The spirits are stirring." I blinked before narrowing my eyes.

"Last I checked the spirits weren't inactive. You all seem to like popping into my life whenever it is convenient for you." Lung made a hissing sound, a sound similar to a gas pipe with a leak.

"You think yourself so superior to us? Humans and their unending arrogance-"

"You're pretty arrogant yourself or are you saying you learned it from humans?" The look in Lung's face made me freeze. Colour for a split instant filled his translucent form and his features froze completely. It was the same man I had seen in my vision. The human form of Lung.

He vanished.

I stood there, staring into the empty room in cold shock. Lung had come... to warn me of something. Was that his goal? It didn't make sense. Why would he warn me of anything? He owed me nothing, even more he hated me. So what could be able to happen that would make him drop that hatred and come to speak to me?

I had a sudden chill run through my body.

What had I done? Had I risked the lives of my friends? The timeline had been totally altered by my arrival so who knew what was going to happen now?

"Maddi?" I jumped, spinning with a tiny scream of surprise. Zuko was standing in the doorway. I sighed, clutching my heart.

"Zuko." I stepped forward. Zuko gazed at me worriedly then gently cradling my cheek in the side of his hand.

"You're shaking. What's wrong?" Was I? I didn't feel like I was. The story came out, slowly at first and then in a sudden rush of fear and paranoia. Zuko listened quietly.

"It may not be that simple. Besides I'm sure that whatever this thing about the spirits stirring Aang knows about it. I'm sure he and the others can deal with it. Whatever it is. You worry to much." He leaned down and kissed me.

I had kissed other men before so the feeling was not new to me but Zuko's kiss was nice. It was soft, and meant to calm me. He didn't push at all, leaving it to me to make the next step. I gently teased his lip.

When we broke away we were both panting and his shirt had shifted so that it wrinkled above the waistline, exposing the bottom of his stomach. For a while we both stood there, trying to decide what to do next.

"We still have things to do." I stated, gesturing at the yet to shrink mountain of scrolls sitting beside my desk. Zuko glanced at them then back to me.

"They can wait a little longer."

* * *

_Aang_

Whatever I was on, it wasn't earth, or at least not all of it. Where the trees and moss grew there was quite a bit of earth before it hit the same strange surface that I had woken up on. I hummed softly to myself. I needed to think. There had to be a reason that I was here.

"Hello Aang." I turned. A dark haired woman with deep storm coloured eyes gazed at me with a small smile. I frowned, why did this woman look so familiar?

"Do you not remember me? I am the woman who helped you master the avatar state." Suddenly it came back to me. That woman had softly spoken wise words.

_"Aang, letting go is not forever, it will not make your love any less. Learn this young avatar."_

"Who are you?" I asked. She smiled softly.

"I suppose you wouldn't remember me. After all you were two young . The day I finished weening you, the monks took you. That was the way things were in our culture. But a mother never forgets her child, even after death and a hundred years." My face drained of colour. My mother. I knew that I had a mother, every child did but those in the temples were raised by the nuns and monks.

"You're my mother?" I asked, scarcely believing it. The woman nodded.

"Yes." I didn't know what to say. She smiled gently and leaned forward, bushing her hand over my head.

"You take so much after your father, but your love of animals comes from me."

"Why are you here? And why now?" I asked before glancing around, "And did you bring me here?" My mother chuckled.

"I am here because there has been an awakening among the spirits. And yes, I brought you here. There is a skill that you must learn here my son. The world depends on it." I worried my lip. An awakening of spirits? What did that mean?

"The spirits usually avoid contacting humans, since the war began we have been getting quieter and quieter, drawing further back into the spirit world. Normally it would take years, even generations for us to come out and once again interact with the majority of society. However a certain non-bender from another world has intrigued most of the populace. We have moved more quickly in the last few months then we have for over a hundred years." Maddi, that was the girl my mother was mentioning. Maddi had caused this awakening among the spirits. Now spirits were interacting with regular people.

"Is that a bad thing?" I finally asked. My mother shook her head.

"No and yes. Spirits and humans have only ever lived while tolerating each other. There is a great many struggles that occur between the two kinds. I am afraid that you will have your work cut out for you my son." I sighed. When wasn't my work cut out for me? I had never had it easy after all.

"I must leave." She stated, suddenly looking up, "Lung is no longer distracted by your friend. Doubtless he will discover I'm missing." Lung. Maddi had mentioned that name before as well. Saying he was the spirit of air. I had been to busy, to worried about other things to ever ask her more about it. But now.

"Who is Lung?"

"I cannot explain Aang. Ask your friend. She will tell you." My mother turned then paused.

"You have made us all proud." She whispered, her eyes shimmering.

"You're father, Gyatso and I. We have been watching over you this entire time. You're people are always with you. No one is ever the last of anything." She leaned forward and kissed me once in the forehead before vanishing. Look into myself? I sat down and crossed my legs, falling into my meditation position. Perhaps my past lives could shed some light on what was occurring in the spirit world.

* * *

_Sokka_

With or without Aang the battle had to happen. Katara was nearly beside herself in worry for him. I didn't blame her. Aang was our friend, her fiancee, and the avatar. If he just vanished and was never seen again it would be eerily similar to what happened before the war began. He would vanish for years and suddenly return.

I hoped that didn't happen, for Katara's sake.

The beginning of the battle started with Toph and Bumi. The two strong earthbenders strode forward towards the huge wall. The rest of the army stood behind them, watching. Azula had closed down the city after she had taken over, we couldn't pretend to be anything else then what we were, invaders, recusers, the ones who had defeated the fire lord.

Toph and Bumi stopped towards the wall. Both stood back to back, the young tiny girl and the huge old man. Both the most powerful earthenders that we knew. I watched in awe as Toph and Bumi together took down a huge portion of the wall.

Just like that the battle began. Hoards of our soldiers streamed into the city. While Azula's Dai Li tried to raise the wall back up Toph and Bumi made sure that it stayed down. I could see the two of them struggling against at least a dozen Dai Li to keep the wall down.

Then I charged through the wall. There were still Dai Li around, battling others and a eerily large amount of firebending warriors. My sword swung in an arc, not caring who it hit as long as it was an enemy. A blast of fire flew at me. I ducked. My heart was pounding. This battle was relying on us. There was no Aang around this time to make a difference.

Shouts and screams echoed all around me but I could not spend a second to listen. I had to remain focused. The war, these people, the future all depended on what happened here. It might take a day or a week but we would succeed. We had to.

There was no other option.

The army rushed through the fields and farms, long abandoned under Azula's regime. Azula's army had tanks, we had our own weapons as well.

"Sokka! Look out!" I knew that voice. I spun as Su Sen threw himself in the way of a steel bolt. The arrow struck him in the chest. I froze. Su Sen was one of the warriors who could not bend. A sword user like me. He had a little brother who he had spoken of. A girl who he had wanted to ask her to marry him when he returned.

Su Sen had been one of my friends.

I dropped to the ground. His breathing was laboured. The shot wasn't in his heart but it was deep, the feathers just barely showing from his chest.

"Tell my family for me... Tell them I died with honour." He whispered. I shook my head.

"You're an idiot. You're not going to die." I barked back. He coughed, blood spilling from his lips. His breathing was staggered and painful. Another arrow flew towards me. I swung my sword. It hit the black steel with a reverberating tone.

"Go." Su Sen mouthed, blood pooling from his lips and to his chest. I stood, grabbing a shield dropped nearby to stop another arrow. Hurriedly I pulled a knife from the inside of my tunic. My ceremonial dagger. The one only to be used on animals, the one that marked me as a man among my tribe.

"Take it." I whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear me in the explosions and screams of battle. I dropped it to his chest. He nodded to me and I ran off. There was more I had to do. Tears pricked my eyes but I forced them back. Su Sen and I both knew why I had given him that dagger. It would bring him to the Spirit world quickly and with no more suffering. All he had to do was use it. It was the only way I could honour my friend for his sacrifice here. The only way that I could give him peace.

"I promise." I whispered to myself, "I will not forget."

* * *

_Azula_

I paced. Father defeated? That was not possible. No, something else had happened, something that had to do with them. The avatar and his friends. I hated them. I hated them all. I screamed in rage, throwing a vase. It shattered against the wall.

"That was not very nice." That voice. I turned. My mother stood behind me, her eyes mocking.

"I thought I taught you better then that." She taunted.

"YOU TAUGHT ME NOTHING!" I howled, charging forward. My so called friends had abandoned me. Ty Lee had run off during the day of the black sun and Mai followed her not soon after, stating that she stood by _Zuko_. My big brother. He was the disgrace. The traitor. The world would see that. I would make them see that I was right.

"Did I? You're right. The only one I cared about was Zuko. He at least had a soul." Fire burst across my hands. I blasted it towards her. Eyes alight as the fire danced over her body. I revelled in her screams, her cries of anguish. She would torment me no longer.

I stormed out, kicking the charred body as I went, one corner of my mind picking up the fact that the woman I had killed was not wearing the robes of the Fire Lady but a servant. The rest of my mind ignored it. I felt like my brain was splitting in half. Even after I had succeeded against Ba Sing Se. The impenetrable city. The city that was said could never fall. Her success against me haunted me in the dark. How was it a pathetic, peasant and her lot could defeat a princess like me? And not once but multiple times. How could she have known?

The words I had so long ago dismissed came to my mind. Spirit walker. Spirits didn't exist. I told myself. Father had taught me that long ago. There was nothing in this world other then ourselves. We were the only race and the firenation the only one that deserved to live. The other races were weak, pathetic, using sup-par bending techniques.

Father could not be gone, he had taught me, loved me, when no one else would. My mother had hated me. Zuko had been afraid of me. I wasn't even sure what Ty Lee and Mai thought about me, either back then or now.

Father had been there when everyone else abandoned me. He would not, could not, abandon me. He was impossible to kill, impossible to defeat.

The news I had been given were lies. I would make sure the messengers would suffer for their words. No one would survive my wrath. But first off, there was a group of five who believed themselves above the great firenation. I would kill every one of the avatar's friends and I would kill Maddison last. She had ruined my life in ways that the avatar hadn't even dreamed of. She would pay for it. If I had to kill every person she loved. She would pay.

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone! I promise I'm not dead. Just wishing you all a late christmas/any other holiday that you may celebrate during that time and a happy new year. Also we are now down to a grand total of two to three chapters before Change the World is over. Of course there will be a sequel, as you all know. And lastly, I apologize for being so late. I swear there is something that watches me and when I say that I won't be busy laughs and fills my schedule full. Anyway let me know what you think.

Princess Kassie Out.


	54. Ashes to Ashes Part 1

Chapter 54

Ashes to Ashes Part 1

_Aang_

I stared at my hands in awe as I felt the lion turtle's power flow through my body. A surge of joy accompanying it. My family was watching me from the spirit world, I was a fully realized Avatar at age thirteen and I had a family of my own now. Smiling, I bowed to the ancient spirit before sprinting back into the woods and calling for Momo.

* * *

_Sokka_

Anger turned my face into a mask as I slashed at all those who I blamed for Su Sen's death. I wanted to find that archer. I would kill them. Azula had yet to show her face and those loyal to her were faltering. Our combined anger, hope and determination were leaving her forces breaking before us like waves.

Katara tore past me, water surrounding her entire body. She tore through the tanks and machines before us like Tui or La themselves. Toph was not even a second behind her, going just as much damage as the earth threw and surrounded the war machines. The White Lotus then stepped up to the plate.

If I had not been so angry I would have stopped to watch them along with a large portion of our warriors. The White Lotus, dressed in the uniform of their group tore through the opposing army like a knife against a perfectly ripe fruit.

The enemy turned tail and ran to the next wall. The army shook themselves out of their stupor and with a shout that shook the entirety of Ba Sing Se tore after those who were leading the pack. While everyone else charged after I faltered, looking back. The area was completely ruined, this part of the outer ring would not be able to be used for farming for at least a season. My heart sunk as I remembered that somewhere back there Su Sen was laying, dead. I turned back and followed the rest of the group deeper into the city.

As I passed through I could hear the sound of the battle still going on. Although it was a good distance ahead of me, in the higher area of the lower ring.

A wail of pain caught my attention. Jerking towards the sound I scanned the area. Not much was destroyed surprisingly, probably because of the efforts of the White Lotus. There was, however an ally way. Stepping into the shadow I looked about and froze. On one end of the ally was a man, dressed as a fire nation warrior. One of Azula's men. The man froze realizing that he was being watched. His leg was pinned under the barrel of a tank and it was clear that he had tried to move which was what had caused the cry of pain. We stared at each other, two adversaries, one clearly at a disadvantage. My hand moved and the man flinched.

"Please... please spare me." The stranger wailed, breaking into tears. The tears caused me to pause. For a few moments... I had actually wanted to kill the man. As it was I didn't know what to do. Leave him there for someone else to find or for him to escape. Or kill him. It wouldn't be hard, I had killed many men already, it was disgustingly similar to killing any other animal. Katara had mostly managed to avoid directly killing. When you were a bender you could manage that luxury. But a non-bender like me couldn't. It had been one of the things Su Sen, Jet, Chan, Kanan and I had talked about. Benders had it easy. They had longer lives, better jobs, and other luxuries that non-benders couldn't even dream about.

The man was still quivering, practically at my feet, sobbing for his life. I raised my sword and for a moment, I was sure I was going to kill the man.

My sword fell back to my side. I didn't have the heart or the will to help the man but I wasn't cold-hearted. I would not kill when there was another way. Doing so would be taking a step towards a future I couldn't predict. Su Sen wouldn't want me to do this either.

"You're filth." I told the man before walking away.

I picked up my pace, breaking into a jog. In all honesty we foot soldiers were probably not needed for this battle. It was almost ridiculous how easy this was. But then again, we had been given advantages that no other rebellion had been given. The avatar, Maddi, Zuko, Toph, Iroh and the White Lotus. What better way to guarantee success.

The battle was coming closer, I could hear the cries and shouts of the soldiers. The sound of fire, water and earth all obeying the command of their wielders, while those who did not have the blessings of spirits clanged their metal together.

I joined the battle in an instant, sliding forward to block an attack sent towards another man. There was no time for a thank you but I knew the man was grateful. I found myself once again falling into the chaotic rhythm of battle. I didn't pay much attention to where I was, just to what directly interacted with me.

A cry, one that should never be heard on a battlefield caught my attention. Another scream. Instinct spurred me on and I charged in the direction I had heard the sound.

Far in one corner of the battlefield a house had caught fire. Katara was already there, trying desperately to put the fire out. The sounds I had heard had come from within the house, I was sure of it. I didn't give myself time to think.

I charged into the burning building, using my sword to destroy the door. I heard Katara's shouts for me but ignored them.

The entire building was ablaze, I could barely see through the fire and smoke. I coughed as the black acidic smoke filled my lungs. The baby's wail directed me to the second story of the building. I didn't have time. I rushed up the stairs, flames flicking at my body.

There they were. A family of four, a husband and wife, a older daughter and a baby. They looked familiar but I had no time to question where I had seen them before.

"Follow me!" I shouted, throwing my sword into the wall. The wood crumbled away, already charred in that area past recognition. There was a rush of water and suddenly the entire building was doused. There was no way that Katara had suddenly found that much water which meant...

Pakku's head stuck out from the hole I had created, not seeming to care that we were all soaking wet and the baby was screaming.

"Everyone alright in there?" He called, once he gave us all a once over he vanished, a tornado of water supporting his body high above the ground.

With Katara's help we got the family to the ground and sent them back to a safe area.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked, grabbing my arm, right above the charred cloth. That arm had been burnt but I had been to focused to notice it.

"I'm fine, you can heal it later." I told her, trying to shake her off as the water covered my arm.

"Oh shut up I'm going to heal this whether you want to or not. I meant... I saw what happened to Su Sen." Her voice went from strong and commanding to soft.

"He used your dagger." I nodded, trying not to show that I felt something rip inside me.

"You... you did the right thing. I don't think I could have healed him, it-"

"I don't want to know." I told my sister brusquely. I knew she was trying to help but I needed to deal with this as I would. She nodded and pulled away, the damage on my arm fixed. I stilled for a moment then wrapped one arm around her. Without saying I pulled away and left.

This war wasn't done yet.

* * *

_Zuko_

I had just finished with the budget meeting. Being Firelord was not all that it had appeared to be when I was a child. The politics, the dry as dust meetings where I felt like I could fall asleep. But I stayed awake, I kept my head held high, I stayed official and professional. It was what was needed for my people. And therefore I would do my best to not miss a single step. Maddi and I had both agreed that at this point in time the fire nation had to come first.

"Fire Lord Zuko. A word please." One of the advisors stated, gesturing to me. I frowned. A private meeting was not the best sign.

"Of course." I stated, standing and walking over to join the man, leaving the scrolls I had been looking over for a servant to collect.

"What is it?" I asked, stepping into a more private area. The man was standing ramrod straight. A habit I had seen a great deal of, especially among those who worked under my father.

"There is a matter which I believe should be attended to quickly." I frowned.

"And that would be."

"Procuring an heir." I faltered for a moment, turning to look the man straight in the eyes.

"I do not see your point." I hedged, carefully watching him.

"If someone was to attempt to assassinate you the only ones who could claim rightful rule are your sister and father. I'm sure you don't want that to occur. It would be best to marry your fiancee, and soon. If you are married then if the worst happens she could still step into your spot. Although it would be better for you to have a child as soon as possible."

"You have some valid points but you are forgetting my uncle." I stated, trying not to show how uncomfortable this made me.

"Do you expect him to outlive his younger brother or niece? Fire Lord, you must marry the woman of your choice and have a child... if your current choice does not please you-"

"I'm happy with Maddi!" I cried, backtracking quickly.

"The truth remains that you need to marry her. And the sooner the better. For the sake of the Fire Nation."

* * *

_Aang_

I sped through the air, propelled by gale force winds. Momo hidden under my tunic. I had to get to Ba Sing Se, fast.

The ground flew past me, so quickly that I couldn't even distinguish a mountain from a desert. The earth was simply a blur of colour.

There. A large dot caught my attention as I began to slow down. Ba Sing Se. The city had a clear line torn through it. I could see the warriors fighting. Azula was nowhere to be found. I flew low, hearing a cheer explode below me as my shadow fell upon them. I continued on, not bothering to wave as I would have done not so long ago.

The palace was silent as I landed in the courtyard.

"Azula. Are you here?" There was silence.

"I'm here avatar. Unlike you or my brother I'm no coward." Azula snarled, stepping out from behind a pillar. I gazed at her solemnly. Her eyes were wild, like some sort of animal in pain. Her clothes were half falling off her frame. She hadn't been eating, I realized with a start. What had happened to make her fall so far. I almost wanted to repeat my earlier question. I couldn't believe that this was Azula.

"Give this up." I told her softly, stepping forward. She laughed, a dry and bitter sound.

"And then what, quietly walk away while my brother and mother laugh at me!? They always hated me you know, right from day one."

"No one hates someone that much." I tried to pacify her. Perhaps she could just be talked down. Then I wouldn't have to use this ability of mine at all.

"DON'T LIE TO ME." She screamed, lightning crackling across her fingers. I sighed and closed my eyes. I had tried to reason with her but had failed. She wasn't going to be reasoned with. She was to angry. To hurt.

"I'm sorry." I muttered softly to Zuko before surrounding myself with a ball of air. Azula charged at me. Fire sparking off her hands. She threw a huge wave of blue flames towards me. I caught them, a single sweep of my hand raising a wall of earth to block the attack.

Electricity shattered the wall like it had never been there. Azula stood in the dust, an eerie smile playing across her features.

"Come out, come out little Avatar. This time you don't have your friends to protect you." I pushed the dust away, clearing the area and raising the visibility.

"I was never hiding Azula." I told her in a calm voice.

"But you ran. You ran and you ran until she hated me and hated you and hated everyone!" She wasn't making any sense. Her eyes were almost unfocused as she stared at me. She continued to jibber confusing things about ghosts and how she loved her friends but was going to kill them. I stepped forward and she snapped to attention like an antelope before a lion. Then suddenly she was the lion. Screaming words that I couldn't even make out she lunged at me, hands punching sharp blasts of blue fire. I dodged out of the way, alarmed to find myself on the defence. It was instinctual for me but right now I needed to be offensive. I needed to defeat her. End this war that had gone on for far, far too long.

Fire surrounded my body, red to her blue. Pushing myself forward I charged in return. The fire wrapping itself around me was like a warm blanket, comforting and familiar. An extension of myself.

Azula's fire tore through my own like a hungry dragon, scorching my skin and clothes. She gave a manic laugh, her eyes rolling.

"You hate me! I can tell! Everyone hates me! But that's okay! Because I hate everyone-" She was cut off as I blasted her back with a strong gust of air. Instead of soaring backwards and crumpling to the ground like I expected, she landed her feet to the side of the building and rocketed off, fire in her hands and feet propelling her forward.

We didn't share any more words, although she kept babbling strange words, something about burning a doll's head and how it was her mothers head. I tuned out her words carefully, keeping my head. Electricity arced off her fingers and towards me. I launched myself out of the way.

The familiar surge of power alerted me to what I had just done. My eyes were glowing, as were my tattoos. I had slid into the avatar state. Azula stared up at me. I expected her to attack, to scream. To shout more confusing nonsense. Instead she just stared at me, eyes wide.

"Pretty." She murmured, so softly I almost thought I hadn't heard right. What on earth was going on? Where was the decisive, intelligent girl who had attack us so long ago? Where was the enemy that I could face with brute power, knowing that they deserved it.

All I saw was a scared little girl.

Slowly I glided down from the sky, tattoos still glowing because, for whatever reason, she needed to see this.

"Its okay. I promise-"

"DIE!" I ducked as a bolt of lightning crackled just above the small of my back. I quickly moved out of the avatar state. Whatever comfort it had given her had been a short term thing.

Azula launched herself at me again. I threw myself back at her, once again ripping the courtyard from the ground and using it to protect myself. Azula's incoherent screams intensified as she threw another bolt of lightning my way, missing me by such a small margin that I could feel the heat from the blast and the electricity tug at every hair of my body.

I dove to the side, surrounding myself with a long stream of water, then a ball of air, then rocks and finally a ring of fire.

I began by shooting stone after stone towards Azula, who dodged each and every one like there was nothing to it. Whatever insanity had grabbed a hold of her it clearly had not interfered in her ability to fight. Or perhaps it had improved her ability, I added mentally as I pulled several stones around me to block another lightning attack.

Azula screamed in fury and to my shock let loose a secondary blast, one I had not been expecting. I was thrown backwards as electricity arced through my body. Last second I pushed the energy into a familiar pattern. Iroh's lightning technique. The electricity flew from my hand, landing in the courtyard and throwing up more dirt then I had expected.

I was in pain. My body ached and screamed as I moved. I may have managed to survive but I was still badly injured. There was only one option left.

The blue once again took a hold of my body, throwing me into the avatar state once again.

Guided by the experiences of the past avatars Azula's fighting ability paled. It was like child's play. There was no move she could make, nothing she could say that I wouldn't expect.

I strode forward, batting away her attacks like they were cushions. She staggered backwards, fear filling her eyes as she realized the inevitable was coming.

"Don't." I paused. That voice. I recognized it and yet I had never heard it before.

A woman with red hair stepped between Azula and I. Her eyes were pure gold, and she held herself with a regality that astounded all of the avatars within me. Instinctively I bowed.

"Agni."

"Aang." She responded softly. I quickly fell out of the avatar state. She had turned away from me and gently placed a hand on Azula's shoulder.

"My poor child. I cannot believe I have left you here like this for so long. You had such potential. But your father murdered it, taking all you could have been from you..." She pulled the sobbing Azula into a hug then turned back to me.

"I chose her to be one of my few favourites. I don't do that lightly. She could have been a great Fire Lord, her father destroyed that. Just... don't hurt her. Don't take my gift from her."

"I promise I won't." I swore. Agni nodded then faded away, leaving me standing there, above a quietly crying Azula.

* * *

_A/N: Hi! I am still alive. So chapter 55 will be the last chapter of Change the World where I will wrap everything up. Just let me know what you have thought and I want to thank you all. Those who have reviewed, followed, favourited or even have just quietly watched in the shadows as I wrote this story. I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and love. And remember Change the World is not the end of this! The next story Life Never Ends will be coming out too. Anyway I would like to ask you all to leave a review, if not for this chapter then tell me one of your favourite moments from this story, something you'd like to see in Life Never Ends. Heck, even just offering up a story for me to go see. I would love to hear from you all._

_So Thank you for supporting me and taking this journey together._

_Princess Kassie_


	55. Ashes to Ashes Part 2

Ashes to Ashes part 2

_Aang_

The war was over. I watched as Azula was loaded into one of the airships that had come for us. She would be transported back to the fire nation where Zuko and Maddi would decide what to do with her. Katara, Sokka, the others and I would drop her off in the fire nation. I would then go and 'visit' Ozai. Ex-Fire Lord Ozai was too much of a threat currently, even in jail as he was. As a non-bender it would make any revolution in his cause falter and die. The generals had voted for Ozai to lose his bending when my newfound power had been discovered. Toph hadn't meant it but she had been upset that I had that ability. I didn't blame her. I was cautious of it myself.

I watched quietly as Su Sen's body along with the bodies of several other 'war heroes' were carried into the ship. Twenty souls who were of a high enough rank or had done some great act of bravery who would be given the honour of being buried in their homeland. It saddened him that it was not something that could be done for every family. However, the dead, although few, would not have all fit in the airships. There were only a few, mostly once again, for those of high enough station to deserve it.

I though would be riding on Appa.

Walking some distance away I pulled out the bison whistle and blew into it, using enough air that I knew the sound would be heard for miles.

I waited, smiling as a familiar form darkened the horizon.

"Going somewhere?" I turned slightly, Katara was watching me, a small smile on her face.

"Not without you." I promised, a smile curving my features. Katara grinned back.

"Hey! Lovebirds! You ain't going nowhere without me!" I sighed dramatically and turned to glance at Toph, who stood behind us, arms crossed. Sokka stood just behind her and nodded dramatically.

Appa landed with a heavy thud on the ground a little in front of us. Instantly he pinned me down, licking me excitedly.

"Appa! I missed you too buddy!" I groaned, trying in vain to push my bison off me. My friends laughed as I finally squirmed out from under the two-ton behemoth.

"Alright lets get going." I said, collecting myself. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Appa always could make me smile.

* * *

Dropping off Su Sen's body was the worst part of the trip. Seeing Su Sen's little brother, father, and mother cry as they realized that their son would never be coming back. Sokka cried with them, told them stories of how great a warrior Su Sen was, how he had given his life to save Sokka's... how if their family needed anything he would do all in his power to help them.

We left, disquieted, two hours later, the sound of shovels scraping dirt and rock echoing in our ears.

* * *

Flying to the fire nation was a lot quicker than traveling by boat. We made it there in just a few hours. On our journey back we laughed and talked about the times we had shared. Jokes, mess ups, harmless things to make us forget for a while the cost of this war.

Sokka, ever keen-eyed spotted the island first.

"We're almost there!" He called. I smiled I was looking forward to seeing Maddi and Zuko again. We forced Su Sen out of our minds, focusing instead on the excitement and happiness to finally see our two friends.

Appa landed in the palace courtyard with a thump and small explosion of dust. I jumped of the saddle, Toph right behind me. Sokka and Katara sliding down my bison's tail.

"Aang! Katara! Sokka! Toph!" Maddi's face was alight as she stood next to Zuko. She held up a hand but quickly put it down. Zuko smiled and strode forward, Maddi following beside him. They stopped before us.

"Its good to see you all again." Zuko stated formally. He looked good as Fire Lord, dressed in full fire nation regalia. Maddi gave a small smile, eyes flicking to the guards who stood on either side. She smiled.

"How about you four come on in?" She asked, gesturing to the building behind them. Zuko nodded.

"I heard that you won but I wasn't given intimate details, I'd like to hear it." He added, turning to guide us into the palace.

As soon as we were hidden inside, out of sight of the guards Maddi sighed, relaxing and rolling her shoulders.

"Spirits, this is going to kill me." She muttered, sitting on a sofa with a grunt. Toph laughed.

"Now you know how I felt." She threw herself onto another couch, taking up the whole thing and kicking her 'shoes' off. Maddi gave a wry smile.

"Do I ever." She replied as the rest of us took seats (carefully avoiding the couch that rested besides Toph's feet).

"Its not that bad." Zuko replied with a chuckle. Maddi raised an eyebrow.

"Says the man _born_ to be king."

"Are you going to bicker like a married couple or are you going to listen to what happened?" Katara teased. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, married couple... one day that would be Katara and I. Maddi nodded, her topknot bobbing. She had truly taken to the firenation culture and quite well from what I could see.

"So how are the others? Iluq, Kanan-" Zuko began but Sokka cut him off.

"Iluq returned to the North pole, he's going to be the next chieftain; Kanan stayed in Ba Sing Se, Su Sen..." his voice trailed off. Nothing more needed to be said, we all knew that look. Zuko lowered his head quietly, in honour of the man who had traveled with us for so long. Maddi looked away, then up, eyes fixed on the ceiling to stop the tears from crawling down her face.

Zuko coughed, breaking the moment of silence.

"I... I have gifts for all of you." He stated. Maddi sent him an annoyed look and he quickly repaired the sentence.

"We have gifts for you." He stood and walked to one side of the room, opening up a closet. He pulled out two large, strangely shaped items, covered in cloth and a decently sized black box.

"Sokka, this is for you." He stated, handing one of the strangely shaped items to Sokka. Then he turned to me.

"And this is for you and Katara." He added, handing the other strange 'box' to me. The black box was given to Toph.

"Cool." Toph muttered as she pulled off the lid. She dug her hands in and her face glowed.

"Money!"

"We figured you need some financial aid to get that metalbending school you were always talking about." Maddi laughed, Toph's smile turned into a smirk at the words.

"Ah! I love him! I'm going to call him Hawkey!" I turned to look at Sokka who had pulled off the cloth, revealing that Zuko and Maddi had given him a messenger hawk. Zuko just shook his head at Sokka's antics.

"These birds were specially trained, they only fly to the palace and back to the person who sent them. This way we can stay in contract." He glanced at Toph.

"We would have gotten you one but..." Toph waved a hand in dismissal.

"Na, don't need one. This just means you lillylivers are going to have to come to my academy once in a while." I snickered and turned to our own messenger hawk.

"What do you think Katara? What should we name him?" Katara was staring at the bird in intense concentration. It blinked at her then clacked its beak.

"Are you trying to give us a zoo?" She asked mildly. Maddi laughed at the annoyed look on my fiancee's face.

"Far from it, besides, I think this little guy will get along well with Momo, he's quite friendly." Katara just shook her head, a small smile crossing her face.

A knock on the door caught all of our attentions. Instantly Maddi's face was guarded and she stood, regal as a queen.

"I'll get it." She stated. Striding across the room she opened the door.

"Yes?" She asked, looking at the man who stood before her.

"I am here for Avatar Aang." He stated.

"Let him in." I called. Maddi nodded and stepped to the side. It was strange, the difference in Maddi's actions in front of others. It was clear she was uncomfortable with it but didn't have an option. I didn't like it, the strange formality didn't match the Maddi that I knew.

The messenger bowed.

"I am afraid that the generals are getting anxious, Avatar. They wish to hurry up with your promise." I grimaced.

"Tell them I will stay true to my promise, but first I must ask Zuko. He is the one who gets the final choice." The messenger nodded and left.

As soon as the door was shut behind him Zuko turned to look at me.

"Final choice on what?" I sighed.

"The generals of the rebellion, that's everyone, from Sokka's dad to the White Lotus, discovered that I... I now have the ability to take away the bending of other people. They voted on whether I should take away Ozai's bending... It was almost unanimous." Zuko's face hardened. I could see him thinking it over. He stood, pacing back and forth.

"I hate to say this but that is what happened... before. By the end of it though, most people were wishing that he had been killed instead." Maddi stated.

"I will not kill him." I snapped. Maddi raised her hands in surrender.

"I know that Aang, there is nothing wrong with staying true to your morals. Besides, as I've said before, things have changed so much that I really have no idea what is going to happen." I turned to look at Zuko. His head was bent.

"Take his bending." He stated quietly. I nodded, and stood. It was time for me to do my duty.

* * *

_Maddi_

I watched as Aang and the others flew away, leaving Zuko and I alone in the courtyard. Zuko shook himself.

"I... I need to go." He stated, briskly turning on his heel and walking away. I sighed deeply, knowing that he was upset over what had happened to his father. I wasn't, but I did worry for Zuko. I cared for him, I _loved_ him.

"So Ozai finally lost his powers. About time."

"What do you want this time Lung?" I asked, turning to look at the air deity standing behind me.

"Aang asked you about me."

"Yes he did. And I told him about you, everything about you that I know. Are you happy now?" Lung sniffed.

"No." I shook my head.

"How do I know he will tell others about me?" Lung asked. I felt a stab of pity for the spirit but Aang had told me his thoughts on the matter, even though I knew they would not go over well.

"Aang decided that he cannot interfere with the decisions of the spirits. He is just the bridge, he forms peace between humanity and spirits, he does not govern or choose what happens to spirits." I told Lung. The spirit of air stared at me then snarled.

"So he won't tell anyone."

"He won't. He can't. Just because he's the Avatar doesn't mean he's above the rules. If you want your punishment revoked, talk to the other spirits... admit that you were wrong for goodness sakes." I added in exasperation. Lung hissed at me.

"I have done everything that I can. But I will never say I was wrong!" With that he disappeared. I bent my head. For the first time I felt a stab of pity for the deity of air. Whatever had happened before that battlefield, where he was thrown back into the land of the spirits, it was something he did not regret. I couldn't guess at what it was but I found myself hoping, for the first time, that his punishment would be lifted. He had been forgotten long enough.

"I'll remember you. Its all that I can do." I whispered before returning into the palace. Wondering about the fate of the spirit of air.

* * *

It was later in the day when I was walking in the gardens, the same gardens that Zuko had spent much of his childhood that Zuko found me.

"I see you like them." He stated, moving out from where he had been. I gestured at the little pond and the turtle ducks swimming about. Druk, wrapped around Zuko's neck blew a cloud of smoke at my face.

"I just remember this place... it was special to you." I replied softly. He took the spot beside me and for a moment we were quiet.

"How soon would you be willing to marry me?" I turned, confusion furrowing my brow.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Zuko looked at me, straight in the eyes.

"I'm getting pressure from the generals... I know you're not comfortable and that you're still technically only my girlfriend but... Maddi will you marry me? After the comet comes?" I stared at Zuko in shock. The comet was arriving in a little more then a week. Marry him, so soon? I loved Zuko but I was scared.

"I-" I trailed off.

"Its needed, for the fire nation." He told me, "I... don't want to push you-" I held up my hand.

"Its not like you have much of a choice in the matter either. Besides we agreed at this time that the fire nation has to come before our own desires." I gave a small smile.

"Can we... can we make it two to three weeks though? Just to give me time?" Zuko nodded.

"Of course." He stated.

I paused and looked out over the pond, before a small smirk slipped into place.

"At least when we're married I get to go all the way with you." Zuko's shocked face quickly changed colour, as red as the rest of his outfit. I laughed, nearly falling over at Zuko's flustered expression.

"Maddi!" He chastised, and for a second he wasn't 'Fire Lord Zuko' anymore. It was just Zuko and me, like back when we were traveling around the world together. A slight cough caused me to jerk upright, laughter dead in my throat. I turned. A messenger stood behind us, face carefully turned away from us, as though he hadn't actually heard our conversion.

"Yes?" Zuko asked, standing.

"Fire Lord Zuko, you ordered that Fire Lord Ozai be moved to another prison after the Avatar had dealt with him, correct?" The messenger asked.

"Yes, I did, should I be asking why you questioned me?" The messenger quickly shook his head.

"No, there was a fear that it was a false message as... sire... Fire Lord Ozai was assassinated during that transport."

Zuko was up so fast I barely had time to process what had been said. Fire Lord Ozai? Dead?

"How." Zuko snarled. Druk, on his shoulders hissed, scales rattling.

"A man with the... strangest type of bending I have ever seen. We were unable to catch him, but he was seen. He was tall, had two metal limbs and... a third eye tattooed on his head." The messenger stated.

"Combustion man." I hissed. Zuko turned to look at me.

"He's a hired assassin." I explained, "One of the best in the business, he doesn't speak and once he is given a job he doesn't ever go back, even when offered more money. He uses a type of firebending focused through that third eye of his." I explained. Zuko turned.

"I want this man found and I don't care if he's alive when you bring him in. Tell that to the soldiers." The messenger nodded and ran off. I turned to Zuko, worried. As soon as the messenger was gone Zuko fell to the ground, staring out in to space. I knelt down beside him and hugged him tight. I didn't care that Ozai was dead, but it was Zuko who I was worried about. I felt his arms wrap around me as he quietly shook, head buried into my shoulder. Druk, twisting his long neck, trying to understand what had made his daddy so sad.

* * *

_Unknown POV_

Haley stood, somewhere near the middle of the crowd. A lot of people were crying but she wasn't. She barely knew Maddison Fletcher after all, she was two grades below the girl and other than occasionally seeing each other as they passed in the halls there had been no relationship between the two.

Maddison's little sister was crying, Rebecca, that was her name. She was in the same grade as Haley and the two took art class together. Rebecca was amazing at art, she had the potential to be a great artist. That was what the teacher had said.

Maddison's friends and boyfriend were crying, as well as some teachers, as the principal gave his speech about her, and the other victims of the earthquake. Only thirty-two people had died and Maddison was the only person from their school who had.

Everyone kept whispering that the worst part of it was the loss of her body. It would never be found.

"Those thirty-two souls were unforeseen victims of chance. We grieve for them, and we will remember them. For their friendship, their family, and what they have done for all of us." Haley sighed, annoyed at the teacher. Yes, it was shocking that all those people died and it was terrible; Haley herself had been shocked when Maddison died, not because she knew the girl but because it was a reminder of her own mortality.

Personally Haley was just glad that no one she knew well had died.

She stood there, in the sunny afternoon, listening to a speech that was too doleful for the weather outside. Unaware that a being, powerful and ancient, was watching her from another dimension.

* * *

AN: And there it is folks. The last chapter of Change the World. I want to once again thank you all for taking this journey with me. The sequel, Life Never Ends will be coming out in February along with a new story Shooting Star. For those of you who like Transformers check it out. I will continue updating one story, Ripples in the World as I have five more chapters planned for that one. One of them is about the Pirates, and the other four are about more recent events in this story. They will be about Lung's backstory, how Agni and La choose their chosen ones, and the last two will be two different versions of the Ember Island players. The two last ones might take a while as they are long, but I am planning on them. Anyway, I look forward from hearing from you all.

Signing off from Change the World for the last time

Also I have made a sequel to this story called Life Never Ends, check it out!

Princess Kassie Out.


	56. Author's Note

Hi everyone, thank you for your love and patience. No, I am not dead. However, I have left my fanfiction to sit on the backburner, and this is why.

I'm working on editing an original book of my creation.

Ideally, this book will be out by summer next year, and the editing should be done by Christmas. I'm not making any promises about the date of publication as I am going to try publishing it traditionally, but if that does not work I most likely will head over to Kickstarter or another site that will help me self-publish. I am on Tumblr and Facebook under Falkyns-Flight (Tumblr) and Falkyn's Flight (Facebook) where I will be posting one-shots from within this world of my creation. For many of you, there will be no interest, which I respect, but if any of you want to take a look feel free, I would love to hear what you think.

This will be added to the final chapter of Change the World in a few weeks to a month.

Thank you again,

Falkyn's Flight


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